


Second Chance

by Francesca_SpringRain



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 25,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Francesca_SpringRain/pseuds/Francesca_SpringRain
Summary: Would she have liked the future could change?How much would have changed if she hadn't had to take that step?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 15
Kudos: 62





	1. #01 - Determination

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this is the third fanfiction I propose.  
> This time it’s a little bit different from the others, I can say it’s how I would like things to go.  
> This time the rating is red.  
> I thought of giving a little happiness to these characters I love so much, trying not to slip into vulgarity, but convey their feelings, alternating, as always, their points of view.
> 
> You will find in the story some elements that does not match the original storyline, this for convenience of the story to be told.  
> I completely omitted the scene in which Cloud beats Aerith (chronologically it happens exactly before the beginning of this story) as I believe it is absolutely ethically incorrect, in bad taste and totally useless. It would also significantly increase Cloud's guilt towards Aerith, which is fortunately not present in my narrative.  
> I will add the notes as I proceed with the publication.
> 
> A special thanx to Martha, who help me with the translation. Thank you 
> 
> Meanwhile, let's start. And thanks to those who want to follow me.

## # 01 – Determination

The atmosphere in the room was quite heavy. Everyone was gathered in front of the fireplace, there, in that town which they had reached immediately after the battle.

Aerith looked at their faces one by one.  
The atmosphere was agitated.  
Sephiroth had manipulated Cloud to get the black Materia delivered, and now he was there apologizing to the others for not being able to oppose him.  
He had lost consciousness after Sephiroth's mind control and his friends had carried him to the inn.

Aerith had already experienced that scene, many years earlier, in another body.  
It was her, but she was also another person. She knew how that discussion would end. She also knew that for her, it would be one of the last evenings, there with them all.  
She looked at the sky from the window, it was tinted with the colors of the sunset. To the west, behind the hill, she could see the foliage of the Sleeping Forest, dyed in the bright reds of the last rays of sun.

She turned back to her friends, and her heart clenched. She felt tears forming in her eyes and pushed them back with great effort. She had to be brave, and meet her destiny just as it had happened in her previous existence.  
She hadn't been able to look at Cloud yet ... she knew how much he would suffer in the future, yet she hadn't managed to change a single thing in their relationship.

She approached the group and sat down in a chair in front of the fireplace, then decided to look up at him. After all, her eyes were always looking for his figure.  
Despite his distressed expression, Aerith was always spellbound. Those eyes, made so beautiful by Mako energy, were proud, proud and too often hard, but they knew how to look at her with infinite sweetness. His pink lips looked like a girl's and the features were sweet ... Cloud looked beautiful to her, as always. After all, he was the man she had fallen in love with for the second time in her life. 

It had to be that night, she had decided.

"Ok guys, I'm going back to the room" she said, her voice barely lower than usual.  
She reluctantly gave up the warmth of the fireplace and stood up, observed by all.  
Cloud took her wrist.  
"Is everything okay?" he asked and she smiled back, her eyes slightly damp. "Yes, don't worry, I want to be alone for a while."

She went up the stairs, the room was small and comfortable and had a terrace balcony overlooking the hills. She smiled sadly. Until now, she wasn’t able to think of anything else.  
She sat on a bench on the balcony, stroking the flowers that were in the pots. They were a beautiful deep red and seemed to give her courage.

"I have to talk to Cloud" she thought. "I'm always the first person he worries about and it's not good ... how can I make him forget me?"  
In reality it was not what she wanted.  
She sighed looking up. She had to look to the present, not to the past ... but how long would this present last?  
Somehow she felt the need to get closer to him, much more. It was one of the reasons she was there at the time. Yet she could not make up her mind. Getting closer would have meant condemning him to an empty existence, made only of pain. She knew it well, because even her previous existence had been like this.  
She stretched, pulling back the tears that rolled down her face every time she thought about that, she closed her eyes, her hands on the balustrade. Her pink lips narrowed and her eyes widened. With one hand she touched the pink ribbon that she had been using for years to tie her braid.  
"Courage!"


	2. #02 - Choice

## # 02 - Choice

In the early hours of that summer night the wind was warm. Aerith looked in the mirror as she pulled the pink ribbon out of her hair.  
The Materia that her mother had left her as a memento was only an empty shell, but she knew that she should infuse her power with her prayer.  
That was the task she was given, as the last of her race.  
She had always kept it there, wrapped in that ribbon that her first love had given her so many years ago, but now was the time for things to change.  
She picked up the bracelet from the bottom of her bag and set the white Materia on it, then put it on her wrist. She stroked the worn ribbon and smiled.  
"Mom, Zack ... please watch over me!" 

She wrapped the ribbon carefully in a piece of cloth and placed it in her travel bag, she braided her hair and mentally prepared herself.  
She had to talk to Cloud, try to make him understand the situation, at least.  
She lowered her eyes, while the hand involuntarily went to touch the bracelet on her wrist.  
It was not something she had foreseen, but in that situation she could not have done it differently.  
If she hadn't been able to change things at least she wouldn't have regretted always lying.

Her hands trembled.  
How would Cloud react? What choices would he make? Would it have been fair to tell the others too?  
She had no answer, but at that point she didn't care. Instinct told her that she could not wait any longer, and her heart that she could no longer give up.  
Protecting and saving were her priorities, and this was as true for her as for others, now more than ever, especially for Cloud.

She knocked on the door, clenching her courage in her fists. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt indebted to her fate.  
"Cloud? I’m sorry, I know it's already night, but I need to talk to you. Can you go out now? I will wait for you in the square. "  
Cloud looked at her surprised and nodded. "I'll join you right away" he replied, and she ran off down the stairs.

Tifa sighed, she had heard the brief conversation between Cloud and Aerith.  
She had felt something strange about her in the past few days, and was worried.  
She had understood from the first moment she met her that she was a special person and that she was especially for Cloud.  
Yet she had continued to love him.  
She felt silly ... after all, she couldn't help loving Aerith too.  
Her existence had brought joy to everyone's life, and Tifa had seen Cloud's changes.  
In fact he was no longer the grumpy person of her memories, Aerith had penetrated his hard armor made of pain with her smile and it was thanks to her that now Tifa and the others could also see kindness and sweetness in him.  
She leaned against the door, snorting. Maybe she shouldn't have meddled, but in her heart she felt she had to do it. There was something that screamed inside her, that screamed that if she didn't do it she would regret it forever.  
She closed her eyes, gathering her determination, then waited for Cloud to go down the stairs and opened the door, in silence.


	3. #03 - Revelations

## # 03 - Revelations

Aerith was sitting on the bench clutching her hands nervously.  
She heard Cloud's footsteps and looked up.  
"Thanks for coming" she whispered, smiling.  
"You are OK?" he asked.  
"Yes, but ... sit down! It’s very important for me to be here now. I could have avoided telling you, but I would have regretted it, so ... open your ears as well! "  
She got up and let him sit down.  
He seemed perplexed and his questioning air confirmed it. 

She smiled, then took a breath and started.  
"Actually, Cloud ... I don't know where to start. I should be prepared, right? … right?"  
She clapped her face with her hands and laughed lightly, then pulled herself together.  
"The thing is I come from the past. Or rather ... it’s my conscience, my soul. My body belongs to this time, but my soul ... "  
Cloud looked at her, narrowing his eyes, seriously.  
"Actually I have already lived this adventure with all of you, in another time that perhaps is not really the past, but it was another life."

Cloud crossed his arms, frowning.  
"In fact, I always had the feeling that you already knew many things. Sometimes it happened that you said the same words that I would have said. I thought it was just a feeling ... "  
"So you believe me? I'm relieved! " She smiled smugly. "I want to tell you that…"  
"Wait a moment! Stop! " He raised a hand. “If you’re going to reveal to me what will happen I will tell you: I don't care. It’s enough for me to know that you’re the same person who gave me a flower that day, the same one I met again in that church. I don't care about the rest. "  
She looked at him sweetly, veiled by a deep sadness.  
"To say if you're interested or not, Cloud, maybe you should listen to the rest of the speech too."

Cloud's gaze fell on the bracelet.  
Aerith touched it with her hand, following his eyes.  
"White Materia, do you remember?"  
He peered at her questioningly.  
"When we met in the church ..."  
Cloud opened his eyes wide at the memory of that flash that had throbbed in his temple for a moment.  
"If I'm not mistaken ... that time I told you it would have been better if you hadn't known how to use it."  
"Exactly! That's it. The Materia that Ifalna, my real mother, left me as a memory. "  
Cloud took her wrist and lowered his eyes, looking at that necklace with that milky sphere. He touched it with the tip of his thumb and bit his lips.  
"It’s empty ... just a piece of useless crystal ... yet."  
Aerith looked at the bracelet "But … with my power it will become the only weapon capable of defeating Sephiroth's black Materia."

She looked up at him. “You will win, Cloud. You will be able to save the planet. "  
"Win …? Don't talk about Sephiroth so lightly. " He grimaced.  
"You don't have to worry" she smiled. "I won't back down!”  
Cloud looked at her sharply. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
"I'm saying you will have the victory! I will do everything possible to make this happen. As Ancient it’s my mission, even if…"  
She turned, giving him her back. She shrugged and looked up at the sky.  
"... even if I won't be able to continue this adventure with all of you."

She felt herself being pulled by an arm and was forced to turn around, then Cloud took her shoulders.  
"What you just said? How ... why? "  
She looked at his serious eyes, transparent in the moonlight. They were full of terror.  
"These are my last days in this world, Cloud."  
She gave him a smile full of sadness, stroking her face.  
"Sephiroth, he… will kill me." she whispered looking at her feet.

Cloud had opened his eyes wide, and his mouth was open too. He had a mixed expression between unbelief and pain.  
Aerith looked at him and felt like a stab in the chest.  
_"This is the expression that I never wanted to see on your face. But I couldn't do anything ... "_ she thought, as a tear slipped on her cheek.

"You do not have to worry. Whatever happens you will win. You can save the planet and for me it will be... "

"Now stop!"  
Tifa's voice interrupted that pitiful dialogue and Aerith felt her slap burn her cheek, while Cloud sprang in a futile attempt to stop her.  
"Why? Why do you say these things?"  
Tifa looked at her angrily and her eyes were full of tears.  
She looked down.  
"Everything will be fine. It was a mistake to talk about it, since I was unable to do anything to prevent you from becoming attached to me ... "  
Tifa grabbed her by the arms.  
“If you didn't, it's because you didn't want it, isn't it? Would you have gone without saying anything? I say no! You can't not have thought of everyone's feelings! Why say it only now? Why did you come back then? If it's the second time you've been through all this ... don't you think you've been given the chance to change the future? "

Aerith's eyes widened.  
"That’s… that’s what Sephiroth wants! If I'm here, it's just to stop him. And there’s nothing I can do, except do mine mission and then go back to the Lifestream. " she hissed.  
“You know it too, it’s not, Cloud? In the battle with Sephiroth he asked you to help him change the future, didn't he? And then you, yours ... "  
Cloud looked at her with narrowed eyes, hard eyes, tight jaw.  
"That’s enough!" he exclaimed.  
Those jade-tinted blue glass eyes seemed to be staring at something through her. Aerith raised a hand to touch him, but he withdrew, then turned away from the street without looking at her.

She lowered her eyes and felt Tifa's hand on her shoulder. "Aerith?"  
“Sorry, Tifa. I saddened you and Cloud. I thought that by doing this you could be prepared. I saw ... I saw his pain and that of all of you and I had to do something but ... but I was wrong!"  
"As far as I'm concerned, the only thing you did wrong was telling us only now. Now, go! Cloud is angry, and only you can get it through. Tomorrow we will think about it together, right? But now you must go!"  
She looked at Tifa. She was winking at her but tears still shone in her eyes.  
She hugged her, whispering "Thanks" then she ran away, chasing Cloud.


	4. #04 - Chasing Game

## # 04 - Chasing Game

She was running to reach him on that summer night.  
She ran, asking her mother to show her a way forward.  
Tifa's words had struck her.  
Would she have liked the future could change?  
How much would have changed if she hadn't had to take _that step?_  
She saw him a few meters away from her.  
"Cloud!" she called, but he kept walking.  
Suddenly the night seemed to swallow her up and she felt herself sinking, into her heart.  
Was this what she wanted? Her heart shouted at her that it wasn't like that at all.  
She ran harder with her eyes closed and tears streaming down her cheeks, and her outstretched hands reached for him.

"Gotcha!" she shouted, and that cry echoed through the deserted alleys.  
Cloud did not turn and lower his head, without even answering her.  
She pulled him by the arm but he didn't even turn to look at her.  
"Leave me alone" he hissed.  
"Cloud it's time to sleep, let's go back!"  
"Come back alone."  
She released his arm and stopped, staring at her feet.  
The town was deserted, it was past 10 PM and only the wind made noise in the middle of the houses, moving the signs and making the street lamps vibrate. The foliage of the trees rustled violently and the noise covered the rumble of Cloud's footsteps.  
He had gone away again and Aerith felt her whole body as heavy as a boulder.  
Cloud's indifference made her suffer. She really felt like she was nailed there, to that ground, incapable of any other movement.  
Her hand tightened on the bracelet. She wouldn't give up.

She bit her lips and forced herself to take one step forward, then another.  
She had run again, animated by something stronger than despair.  
She knew that if Cloud had wanted to, he could have seriously left her behind, yet his steps had always kept the same rhythm.  
She smiled to see him in front of her. Although he was angry, his kindness had prevailed. She ran faster and passed him, then stood in front of him.  
"Gotcha! ... again!" she smiled, leaning towards him and trying to face him.

Cloud had a terrible expression.  
He looked up at her for a moment, then lowered the eyes again, pursing his lips.  
"What's up?" he said, spitting out the words in a breath.  
"We are far now, we should go back or the others will worry."  
"It doesn’t matter. I don't want to go back. "  
"But… Cloud!"  
In an angry outburst he raised his eyes in a deadly look, placing them inside hers, who also smiled.  
"What do you want? Do you think you can tell me anything you like and then pretend that nothing happened? "  
"If you tell me why you're so angry I'll go back to the inn, promise!"  
"I'm not angry."  
Aerith snorted.  
"Well ... then it won't bother you if I stay."  
She raised her arms in a gesture that seemed to say _"If so, I can't help it."_  
"What the hell do you want?"  
"Just be sure that you will rest properly."  
He turned to her with a rush.  
"Then let's find a damn room and sleep! Tch! Damn!"

Aerith was stunned.  
She was petrified and stared at him with wide eyes, but in her amazement she realized that even in a moment like that Cloud was giving priority to her.  
In that same instant, instead, Cloud realized what he had just said and turned away, visibly embarrassed.  
"N ... no! Wai ... Hey! "  
She clenched her fists, biting her lip. Then she raised her head firmly.  
"Agree!" she interrupted him. "Let’s go!"  
He took him by the arm and dragged him with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friends, I need someone to help me with English. Who wants to do it? Unfortunately it is not my native language, and I have a bit of difficulty with the form, so if you want to help me contact me! Thanks for reading up here.


	5. #05 - Precious

## # 05 - Precious

Cloud hadn’t been able to protest, nor had he had the time.  
Just a few steps away there was a small inn with a discolored sign.  
Within minutes he realized that Aerith had already paid for the room and was dragging him upstairs.  
When she closed the door behind them, he finally looked at her.  
He ran a hand over his face as he watched her open the window.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said.  
He shook his head.  
"Hey ... is that really okay with you?" he was uncomfortable "I mean ... in short, being here alone ..."  
Aerith narrowed her eyes, and her mouth opened in a smile.  
"This is my precious time, you know? And it’s even more precious since I can spend it with you! "  
She looked out the window, sniffing the air.  
"I only realized now that I lived again only for moments like these."

Helpless, Cloud had sat on the bed. He hadn't been able to argue.  
He kept his eyes down, and his forehead was wrinkled.  
Aerith knelt in front of him and looked at him, and he tried to withdraw, disconcerted by her ambiguous attitude.  
"Cloud… Don't you want to tell me why you do this?"  
“I don't want to tell you. I'm sorry."  
"Is it about your visions?"  
"What?"  
He had opened his eyes wide, feeling uncovered. "Did you know that? Ah ... I forget that you have already lived this part. "  
He looked away, twisting his mouth.  
"It is not so. It’s the first time we have this conversation. "  
He looked back at her, propping his forehead with his hand.

"You see … when I died my soul returned to the Lifestream, but I always stayed by your side, at least in dreams. Even when you had to dig inside yourself I was there with you, even if you couldn't see me. I have always observed you, Cloud. I have watched over you _in the future_. So I know everything about you. "  
"Every … thing?"  
"The pain, the desires, the fear, the anxiety ..." Aerith took his hand and took off his glove. "The only thing I couldn't see anymore was happiness. That's why I'm here again. "  
Cloud opened his hand, letting her hands wrap around his, then closed his fingers.  
He felt desperate, but deep in his heart he still wanted to bet.  
"I never deserved so much attention, anyway ... yes. It's about my visions, you've seen right. "  
"Cloud ... you ... you've always known, hasn't it? From the first moment! You have always unconsciously known what my destiny would have been, precisely because you saw it. That's why you're so upset, isn't it? "  
"No ... I ..."  
He stopped for a moment, as if to understand where to stop his thoughts.  
"It’s true that since the day we met, I have had a succession of visions that I cannot explain."  
"Let me see them, Cloud."  
Aerith started to take his head in her hands, but he shielded himself with his arm.  
"No."  
He turned to look at her, continuing to keep his forehead in his palm, his gaze too serious. “These are terrible moments, moments that I have never experienced, but which also tear my heart to pieces. I don't want you to see them. Absolutely."  
"I see.” she stroked his cheek. "So ... are we going to sleep?"


	6. #06 - Feelings

## # 06 - Feelings

He had given up. He looked at her with downcast eyes while Aerith, still kneeling in front of him, took off his other glove with calm gestures and a smile on her lips. He followed her movements even when she freed him from heavy amphibians, and when her hands went to unbutton his belt buckles he only managed to protest weakly, with his face on fire.  
Aerith had looked up at his "Hey!" then continued to free him of his armor.  
She had clapped him on the knee saying "Ok! Now relax! " then she got up and climbing on the bed behind him, began to massage his shoulders.  
"Hey! I'm not an old man! Get it over!" he exclaimed, blushing to the tip of his ears and stiffening under her hands.  
"Relax, Cloud! I thought by wearing that sword you had aching shoulders! Let me do it!"  
He snorted and looked out, feeling her fingers travel the muscles of his shoulders and neck, over the shirt. He stretched out his arms and let her do it, throwing her head slightly back.

It was the first time she had touched his shoulders. She felt it stiff under her fingers, and pressed on his nerves to ease the tension. Her heart seemed to come out of her chest and nevertheless she wanted to do something for him, even if stupid.  
Those were precious moments for her and he seemed to like them.  
She pursed her lips as Cloud groaned when her fingers tried to loosen the nerves of the neck. She touched the warm skin under the collar, and he moaned again at her pressure.  
"You even have too much patience with me." she chuckled, plunging her face into his hair and finally felt his tension ease.  
"Thanks Cloud. I will treasure these moments with you."  
She whispered it gently in his ear.

She got up, and went to the window.  
"I was lucky. I could add this evening to my memories. "  
"It's not that great, don't you think?"  
She felt Cloud behind her put his arm on the window and she turned slightly to look at him.  
His eyes were down and his gaze was still sad.  
"Hey ... Can we change things?" he asked in a low voice.  
She clasped her hands, touching the bracelet with Ifalna stone.  
"Can we change them?" she replied back, watching Cloud's gaze staring out from the window.  
She also turned to look in that same direction and felt Cloud's forehead on her shoulder. Her heart accelerated again.  
“I don't want that to happen. I will never be ready to let you go. Please stay. Stay with... "  
She leaned her face against his head, a hand dipped into his hair, while Cloud's arms surrounded her waist.  
"Aerith… I’m in love with you." he whispered.  
She closed her eyes and let the tears slide down, silent, shining for a moment before breaking on the floor.


	7. #07 - Heart's scream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, Aerith finally begins to take her small steps towards a new future, which also includes Cloud ... This time she will seek their happiness, with sweetness and with a thousand doubts.  
> Let's start!

## # 07 - Heart's scream

Her heart hurt.  
She looked at the stars with her eyes clouded by tears and felt the heat of Cloud.  
From the shoulder on which he rested his head the hot wave spread throughout her body giving her a pleasant calm sensation which she tried in vain to oppose.  
Her mind was telling her to run away.  
She had to complete her mission at all costs.  
But her heart told her something else.

For a moment she had managed to change the course of events.  
Was she playing Sephiroth’s game?  
Sephirot, he ... what was he wanting? And she instead? What would have she liked?  
She tried to divert the thought from Cloud that embraced her in that way thinking about Sephiroth's purposes, and in her heart she hoped to be able to contrast what fate had in store for her. She relaxed her back, seeking contact with Cloud's chest.

"If there’s a way ... I want to find it" she whispered, surrendering to the desire that now filled her heart completely.  
She felt Cloud's breath on her cheek and had the urge to turn to him, but she didn't.  
She looked at the stars, placing her hands on his, which still surrounded her waist tightly.  
"Cloud, do you want ..."  
"What?"  
She heard him sigh over her shoulder as he loosened his grip slightly.  
She felt his hands slip away and held them under hers, intertwining her fingers with his.  
"Would you like to kiss me?"  
She felt herself sinking in shame and felt the muscles of his arms tense under her fingers.  
"I never did it, but if you want ..."  
Aerith laughed slightly, dictated by tension.  
"I never did either" she replied, and decided to turn to him.

Cloud put his hands on her arms.  
She kept her eyes down, ashamed of the audacity of a few minutes earlier, she could not lift them, even though she wanted to look him in the eyes. She was afraid to see what those clear eyes had to say to her.  
"W-wait" she exclaimed placing a hand on his sculpted chest.  
He leaned his forehead against her, puffing slightly.  
She felt the beats of his heart. They were strong and fast and through the hand they echoed through her whole body.

She looked up with her green grass color eyes and met his eyes. Even in the darkness of the room she could see the jade-colored flakes of Mako swimming in that universe of glass.  
She watched the reflection of the outside light shine between the lashes that closed, as Cloud approached her.  
Immediately the gaze went to his lips. It all seemed to her in slow motion. It was close, too much. She caught a glint on that lip, then closed her eyes in panic.

She felt a caress and then a light snap, barely noticeable. Cloud's lips were warm and slightly rough. She felt his breath on her face, then again a light caress and a small snap. She shut her eyelids tightly and couldn't relax. Cloud rose from her mouth to the cheek, giving her the sensation of small warm raindrops on her skin. He placed small sweet kisses on her lips, on the cheeks, on the eyes, on her forehead. Then he took her face in his hands and she opened her eyes.  
"I thought you were unconscious" he said, stifling laughter and turning his face for a moment.  
She also chuckled, thinking that this was the first time she had seen Cloud laugh that way. She felt tears rise as she girded her hips and closed her eyes, offering lips to him again.

Cloud's mouth came, warm on hers, along with a slight breath that tickled her nose. She squeezed him harder as he continued to pop lots of kisses like little sparks on her lips. She moved her lips too, pressing them on his lips, which always lingered a little longer, then she felt him open his mouth, and gently take a lip between his. She squeezed the fabric of his shirt between her fingers feeling Cloud's tongue search for hers and give life to a sort of sensual dance that made her knees give way.

She broke away for a moment, trying to get some air, and she felt seriously fainting, but Cloud supported her.  
"Hey! You Ok?"  
She laughed, resting her forehead on his chest.  
"Yes, I’m fine."  
Cloud had a funny expression, he looked like a frowning child.  
His eyes told her he was worried and his mouth he felt insecure. In addition, his face was really red, she noticed, and she felt the urge to tighten him.  
He was really _cute_.  
Her hands went to pinch his cheeks, gently, snatching a weak laugh, then, smiling, she embraced him again, interlaced her fingers behind his back and standing on tiptoe she kissed him.

It was a long, wet and warm kiss.  
Cloud's proximity sent her haywire, and she realized she wanted more every minute, every second.  
Her hands moved, frantic, slipping under his shirt.  
She stroked his bare shoulders and shoulder blades, then she went down on his hips and touched his abdomen while their mouths sought each other, bit each other, lost on the neck, on the ears, then returned to unite and their tongues to dance.  
She felt Cloud's fingers slip under the straps of her dress.  
Her heart screamed, and her mind was full only of him.


	8. #08 - Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are.  
> I hope to be able to make the mood of Cloud and Aerith in these moments that are so precious to the two of them.  
> I can only imagine the inner turmoil of Aerith, who, finding herself living the same adventure for the second time, wishes to be ever closer to the man who previously was not even allowed to touch, and above all her fear of upsetting fate of the world that depends entirely on her only on a whim.  
> Let's start!  
> Happy reading (and be tolerant of my imperfect English.)

## # 08 - Warmth

There was no noise in the room, from time to time there was a sigh or a moan.  
Only the wind outside made the sign slam and the leaves rustle.  
Cloud and Aerith were still there, huddled against the wall, kissing in a thousand different ways, mouths glued and hearts joined.

Aerith shook, feeling Cloud's fingers open the buttons of the dress on her chest. She pulled away for a moment to look at his downcast eyes and his mouth bent into a slight smile. Her heart skipped a beat when his lips touched her forehead. His warm breath hit her and his hair tickled her face.  
He had completely unbuttoned her dress and was holding her breast gently with his hand.  
She moaned, feeling his erection pressed against her belly and everything went white in her mind. She leaned her head against the wall and dipped her fingers into Cloud’s hair as he bent down to bite her collarbone gently. Then with one hand she went down to explore the hot spot where he pressed her. She thought she was going crazy.  
She felt it warm, throbbing against the cloth and heard a muffled moan escape from his lips. He kissed her passionately, while her fingers lingered, stroking him over his pants.  
Spreading the straps, he slipped the dress off her, then whispered in her ear "Take them off". 

The candle flame wobbled and then went out, sizzling in a liquid puddle.  
She felt her heart throbbing in her throat, while her fingers fumbled by opening his buttons. In complete embarrassment she hid her face in his shirt, trying to stay calm.  
She felt his warmth under her hands, and withdrew them for a moment, ashamed.  
Cloud untied her braid, running his hand through her hair and forcing her to lift her head, captured her lips again, while his pants also fell to the ground.  
He got rid of the shirt, then took Aerith in his arms and laid her on the bed, without leaving her mouth even for a moment.

He had a serious expression as he looked at her, kneeling beside her.  
He stroked her forehead in an automatic gesture, while she tried to cover herself as she could. Her face was completely red with embarrassment and she almost jumped when Cloud touched her cheek.  
"Hey ... you okay?"  
It was the usual Cloud, she told herself, following the line of his collarbones with her eyes and going down to his chest. But it was the first time she had seen him that way, and for him, she told herself, it had to be exactly the same.  
She wanted to look at him more, caress and hold him, but she also wanted to run away. She was so ashamed that she covered her face with her hands, embarrassed, but she continued to scrutinize him, looking at him between her fingers.  
He was beautiful. The pale skin reflected the moonlight, the wind ruffled his rebellious blond tufts and a jade and turquoise firmament shone in his eyes. His sculpted physique was covered in small drops of sweat. He looked at her with narrowed expectant eyes, a slight smile on his lips. He approached, took her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face, and forced her to look him in the face.  
"Aerith ...?"  
She drowned for a moment in his irises, then stroked his hair, and her hands fell on his neck, then on his shoulders and pectorals.  
"I'm a little nervous" she whispered lowering her eyes, and instinctively covered her breasts. "But ... I ..." she lowered her voice even more "... you."  
Cloud's hand took her chin and she was forced to look at him. Her heart was bursting.  
"Repeat it" he said seriously.  
"…I love you" she repeated in a low voice.  
She saw him blush and turn his face for a moment, then she felt him lie down on her, skin against skin, and she quivered. She felt his lips on her neck and instinctively girded his shoulders, while his arm squeezed her waist, making their naked bodies cling even more.  
It was shocking.  
Close to him, she inhaled his smell, whispering his name countless times.  
Cloud kissed her again and she felt him rubbing against her. He took her wrists and held them on the bed, then looked at her, as he gently made his way into her, ripping out a scream.  
She felt a stabbing twinge that took her breath away and stiffened.  
"It hurts!" she whispered, clinging to his shoulders. He sat up, pulling her towards him.  
"It's all right ... just relax" he said running his fingers over her back, then searched for her lips and kissed her slowly, dipping his hands into her hair.  
"C-Cloud ... give me a moment, please ..."  
He smiled at her and consented, shaking his head.  
He got up and went to the window and she followed him.

"You are angry?" she whispered to him with a small voice interlacing her fingers between his.  
He hugged her, squeezing her tightly, then put his forehead on her shoulder.  
"Never get bored with you!"  
She felt tears sting her eyes.  
She could not stem all those feelings, her heart was bursting and she could not help looking for him, continuously. However the pain she felt in the lower abdomen was dominated by the desire to return to being wrapped in his arms.  
She could do it. She would have succeeded because she loved him.  
She kissed his neck, his chin, went up to his lips, then to his eyes.  
She felt his hands intertwine behind her loins, and their bodies again skin against skin.  
Cloud was boiling, although he was endeavoring to maintain self-control.  
That way it was too much for him.  
She rested her head on his chest and felt his warm breath in her hair.  
"I love you, Cloud. This time it will be fine. "  
She took his hand.  
"I don't want to keep you waiting ... and I don't want to wait a minute longer."  
"I won't hurt you" he whispered, placing his lips on her forehead.  
"I know. Come here" she replied, pulling him by the arm to the bed.

He climbed over her slowly, running her body with his mouth. From her belly she went up to her breasts, then onto her neck, until she reached her mouth which she devoured greedily. Aerith laced her fingers into his hair, moaning for every little bite he left on her skin, then felt him pull himself up, and prop up with his hands on the sides of her head. She looked at his glass eyes as he felt him sink into her with maddening slowness.  
She clung to his shapely arms that held the blanket tight and felt them tremble slightly. He was holding back for her.  
She opened her mouth, trying to get some air, then, having overcome the initial shock, slowly opened her eyes.  
She scanned Cloud's dark lashes, tightened, frowning, breathless breathing, mouth parted in an expression she had never seen before. A drop of sweat hung on his nose and she took it off, touching it with her finger. At that slight contact Cloud opened his eyes, suddenly. She smiled at him as she felt the tears burn her eyes and her arms wrapped around him, pulling him towards her. She felt him move in her and she also gently moved following his rhythm, seeking contact with his lips as a tear full of sweetness slipped on the pillow.

The pain began to subside and she concentrated on Cloud. She felt his heavy breathing, her movements inside her getting deeper and faster. It looked like a wave that grew and retreated. She looked at him again. His brows were furrowed, his lips drawn and his teeth clenched, in an expression of pleasure and concentration together. Occasionally his eyes parted to peer at her and his hair returned to tickle her face.  
_"More"_ she thought _"I want even more."_

She felt mad seeing him that way. Her blood stirring inside her, and the consciousness sliding away. She twisted her legs behind his loins and her mind completely emptied. She felt him panting on her neck as she held him back with her arms. Finally she abandoned herself completely to him, moaning with her eyes closed to that crazy dance of bodies and souls that returned to being one.


	9. #09 - Remorses

## # 09 - Remorses

She opened her eyes at the first light of dawn. A pleasant cool breeze came in through the window and the sky seemed covered with clouds. She moved her hand slightly and felt Cloud's fingers in hers. She turned to him and found him looking at her, wrapped in a light sheet.  
Her fingers traversed the profile of his cheek in a very light caress, then went down on his throat, before withdrawing.  
She smiled at him, her heart bursting.  
"It’s already morning" she said, finding no other argument, and he replied with a "Mh."  
"We should hurry, or the guys will worry" she said then, as she became aware that she would have to face all of them and explain how things were, including that night when she and Cloud had left them alone at the inn.  
"I'm going to take a shower" he said, getting out of bed.  
Aerith looked at him and blushed, dipping her face between the sheets.

He held her by the hand on the road. It was the only way he had to protect her, since they both had no weapons, and he tried to moderate his pace, which would have been too fast for her.  
Aerith smiled, but inside she felt nervous and all the time she had kept her hand on her chest, lost in thought. She wondered how she would deal with the talk with others, what she would say to Tifa about that night spent with Cloud, and above all she thought about the fact that she had made a deviation from her primary purpose.  
She felt a sense of remorse towards the planet, towards her mother and especially towards the future that awaited all of them.  
Then he looked at Cloud. She peered at his profile, over his bare shoulder.  
He smiled.  
She thought of all those times when she had returned from Lifestream to cradle his empty and wounded soul in dreams. She had carved every tear in her heart, all his guilt, and that dull pain that after her death had echoed within him until his last day of life.  
Cloud was smiling.  
He seemed happy, despite the light rain that was falling on them, and she forced herself to smile and think that perhaps it was the right thing to do.

"Cloud" she whispered, and he slowed down his steps until he stopped.  
"Huh?" He turned to look at her.  
"Let me talk. I'll tell the guys how things are and ..."  
"Mhh ... 'kay!" he interrupted her, turning to look at her with a slight smile. "Don't go overboard though."  
"N ... no, but I'll do my best!"  
"Hey! You're already doing your best, aren't you? Explain things to them calmly. The guys will understand and together we will find a way to ... "  
She lowered her head. Again would she have to find a way to deceive the future? Wouldn't it have been better to follow the normal course of events and resign herself? She opened her green eyes wide, looking towards the gray sky like Midgar's steel and felt pain in her heart.  
She would have fought, because after that night she knew what she would have to lose.  
Cloud took both her hands, which were clenched in search of the necessary courage.  
"Hey ... it's all right. Take it easy, okay? "  
She looked at him, smiling at him with tear-streaked eyes.  
"Mm-hmm! You’re right."  
She felt herself wrapped in his arms, and felt Cloud's cheek and wet hair against her face.  
The shadow of the future would have been difficult to remove.

"I'll wait for you outside" he said as they approached the inn.  
"You'd rather be there too ... you don't know the whole story, but ...”  
"Okay, okay! I will come” he smiled, reassuring her.  
Tifa, Red and Vincent were talking under the veranda, while Barret, Cid, Yuffie and Cait Sith were waiting for them in the tea room, waiting for an explanation.  
Cloud watched Aerith bow to those three, as an apology, then watched her disappear behind the door, preceded by Vincent and Red, while Tifa, having noticed him, headed for him.  
"Hey" he called her crossing his arms.  
"Hey" she replied trying to smile. "It's OK?"  
“I could ask you the same question, you know? Your eyes are red! "  
Tifa smiled at him with downcast eyes.  
"Maybe it would be time for you to stop crying over idiots" he hissed, placing a hand on her head, and she nodded.  
"Hey, Tifa." he continued "Thanks for yesterday and ..."  
"Stop. Do not apologize. You have no reason to do it. "  
"I’m doing it… because I have known your feelings for a long time, but I never gave you an answer. "  
Tifa looked at him, surprised by the attention he was now giving her. It had never happened before.  
"If I didn't do it, it's because I never wanted to ruin what we have. I cannot give another name to what I feel. You have always been my _family_. And you will be forever. "  
She lowered her deep eyes to hide a tear.  
“It's not like that, Cloud. I never had the power to change your world. That's why…"  
"Silly. You are part of it ... always. "  
He smiled at her and she smiled back.  
She clung to his shirt. "Are you happy, Cloud?"  
"Yup. But only in one sense. "  
She looked up towards him and she could read the concern and anxiety, along with that something new that was drawing him further and further away from her.  
"Then let's do our best, so we can be happy in every sense!"


	10. #10 - Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> this time Aerith will tell her story completely to her friends, as if it were a fairy tale, retracing every moment of her pain.  
> Enjoy the reading!

## # 10 - Tale

The party sat around the table and looked at her.  
Aerith, standing in front of them, squeezed her hands, then bit her lips and looked up.  
"What I will tell you may sound a little strange ... but at this point I can no longer hide it. I talked to Cloud last night, and Tifa also heard what I said. Now I will tell you all too. "  
She was nervous. He peered at everyone's faces, then took a deep breath and started.

"Once upon a time there was a girl who carried a heavy legacy on her shoulders. She was the last of her race and had a mission to accomplish. At first she hadn't realized it, but after meeting the Soldier her life suddenly began to run. Together with that Soldier she embarked on a journey to her fate, and met people who would fight alongside her. At every step the ties with everyone became closer, and the road became more tortuous. The more things she knew, the more what she was supposed to do seemed clear to her. "

By the time Cloud and Tifa entered, she had already begun to speak. Tifa went to sit next to Yuffie, and Cloud leaned against the wall where Red was crouching, with his eyes on Aerith. Cloud looked at her too. Then he turned to look at the others.

"There was an enemy, a truly powerful enemy, who intended to destroy the world, and to do so he had obtained the legendary black Materia, capable of evoking the threat from heaven, _Meteor_. The girl loved to talk to the flowers and the wind, and every night in her heart she prayed because she sensed the scream of the planet that was dying. "

"Hey, Aerith! This is our story, isn't it? "  
Barret had stood up, placing his hand on the table and looking at her quizzically. Tifa held him back. Vincent peered at her without speaking, while Yuffie, intrigued, looked at both her and Cloud with a mischievous air. Cait Sith was silent, crouched by the fire and Red shook his tail and closed his eyes. He already knew that story since he'd been with Aerith in Hojo's lab.  
Aerith looked at Barret, smiling.  
"No, Barret. This is _my_ story. Let me continue, please. "  
"It still continue?" Yuffie asked, almost falling off the chair.  
Aerith clenched her fists and lowered her eyes, focusing them on the embers of the fireplace.

“The planet was going to die. The enemy had begun summoning _Meteor_ , and the girl and her companions had in no way managed to stop him. But the girl had a secret. Her mother, before dying, had entrusted her with the white Materia, capable of evoking _Holy _, which would have fought _Meteor _. But that Materia had to be filled with power, so the girl left her companions and the Soldier with whom she fell in love, and went to the city where her race had thrived and died out. "____

_____ _

Her hands began to tremble.  
Tifa looked at her "Go ahead, courage!" she whispered approaching her.  
Cloud watched her with downcast eyes and tight lips.  
Everyone's attention was catalyzed on her and the silence and tension were broken only by the crackling of the fire.  
Aerith put her fists on the table, lowering her head, and went on.

_____ _

“She did not say goodbye to anyone that evening, but went to the Soldier's dream to tell him that she should pray and that she would return when it was all over. Then she went to that ruined capital surrounded by a Sleeping Forest. In that place she knelt down and holding the white Materia in her hands she began to pray to infuse her power. There she stayed for three days, and there she was joined by the Soldier who, controlled by the powerful and evil enemy, raised his sword to kill her, but without succeeding. When he managed to free himself from the control of that enemy, the prayer was completed and the girl opened her eyes, looking at her friends in front of her. "

_____ _

Big tears began to fall from her eyes and the voice cracked, but did not give way.  
“But, just when it seemed time to cheer, the evil enemy descended from heaven and stabbed her to death with his long sword. As she fell, she let _Holy _slip from her hands, then her mind emptied and, in Soldier's arms, sinking into that sacred source, she reached her Promised Land. "__

_______ _ _ _

The silence became heavier than a cape. Cloud came up to her and taking her hands opening her fingers by force. They were so tight that the palms were almost bleeding.  
He said nothing and looked at the faces of their companions. Everyone was looking at her with their mouth wide open, their eyes wide and their breath suspended.

_______ _ _ _

"Let me understand!"  
Barret approached her, towering over her. Cloud stretched out an arm, preventing him from reaching her. “You can't say this isn't our story! But it’s not possible ... "  
"It’s possible" she replied in a trembling voice. "Because this is the story of an existence that I have already lived. And that I find myself living for the second time. "  
"So what happened after?" Yuffie asked curiously. “The group managed to defeat the enemy?"  
Aerith looked at her sweetly and sadly.  
"Yup. Thanks to the white Materia the Soldier and his friends defeated the Angel with one wing, but only after _Meteor _was launched on the world, which was totally upset, as well as everyone's heart, first of all that of the Soldier, who blamed herself for girl's death. It was a painful and long battle, but in the end everyone's journey came to an end, even if happiness no longer belonged to any of them. The girl, from the vital flow of the planet, supported them to the last moment, helping them to reach victory, and then there, in the flow of the planet, after a long time she discovered that the Angel with one wing had moved in another timeline to change the course of the future. And the girl chased him thanks to the power of the planet, to avoid him changing future, and right now she’s explaining the situation to her friends. Only 7 days left ... "__

_________ _ _ _ _ _

She stopped, fell to her knees and lost consciousness, drained of all the tension accumulated.  
Cloud picked her up to accompany her to her room and Tifa went after him.  
Closing the door behind them, they heard everyone's excited voices rise slightly.  
Cloud squeezed Aerith, his arms trembling, and Tifa put her hand on his shoulder.  
"Let them think it over for a while, then we’ll think about how we can do it. We can't let her die again, Cloud. "  
They reached the room and Cloud placed her on the bed, then slumped against the wall, holding his head in his hands, while Tifa went back downstairs, closing the door behind her, in silence.

_________ _ _ _ _ _


	11. #11 - Embrace

## # 11 - Embrace

Cloud heard Aerith whisper his name and raised his head.  
She had sat up, squeezing the sheets with her hands.  
He approached, without words, with his mouth tightened in a grimace.  
She raised a hand to his face, without looking at him.  
"I exaggerated?"  
He grabbed her hand.  
"No, but..." he snorted "these are heavy things, both for the listener and for the narrator."  
"I'm a disappointment, aren't I?"  
Cloud saw a tear shine for a moment on her cheek and slip on one hand.  
"Hey! What the hell!"  
He put an arm around her and pulled her towards him.  
"Who knows what the guys will think now" she sobbed clinging to him.  
Then she looked up and looked at him.  
Pain had transformed his features, he looked at her with dark eyelashes with narrowed eyes, his mouth was shut, incapable of any word of comfort.  
Once again she realized that it was Cloud who suffered most of all, yet he was there, next to her, she could feel his hand still tighten her head against his abdomen.

Cloud sat on the bed with one hand on top of hers.  
"I hadn't heard the whole story" he said without looking at her "and I thought _Meteor's _threat had been averted anyway. Instead, despite everything, the same happened. It’s one more reason to contrast what will come."  
"Cloud! It's not fair! That's no good! I can't back down just because I'm afraid! "  
"Fear? Nah! You’re not the type. If you were afraid you wouldn't be here, am I right? "  
"I want to stop Sephiroth and there are important things that ... but ... the planet must take precedence."  
"Damn! What do you want me to care about a planet where you are not there? "  
"Cloud! What the hell are you saying? "  
"Then tell me! Tell me! What will our lives be like after you die? "  
Aerith's eyes widened. Cloud was screaming and she lowered her head, sobbing.  
She knew he was right.  
"Nobody will find happiness, but Sephiroth will no longer be a threat and ..."  
"Tell me. Now."  
"Red had to wait 500 years to meet another specimen of his race, Cait Sith was imprisoned as an accomplice to Shinra, Vincent went back to sleep in his coffin, Cid lost Shera in the impact with Meteor, and then ..."  
"Ok. It's enough."  
"Don't you want to hear the rest, Cloud?"  
"No. The only thing I want to know is if once you survive you will stay with me or you will go back to the Lifestream. "  
"I don't ... I don't know. I don't know, Cloud! "  
He lowered his head and turned to face the wall.  
"Shit" he yelled, then slammed the door out.__

____

_"It's over"_ she thought _"now I have nothing else to do."_  
She squeezed the sheets harder, her shoulders shaking with tears, then stood up and heard the door open behind her.  
She turned. Cloud had taken up his sword and handed her the fighting rod.  
"It's not over yet! I will fight to the end. Let’s go!" 

_______ _ _ _

They went down to the room where the others still spoke excitedly, and by opening the door everyone was silent. Aerith looked at them, and bowed apologetically.  
Tifa was the first to come forward. She took her hand.  
"I thought I would hate you. But it was not so, indeed you have changed the lives of all of us with your smile and your strength, and you are here again for us. Thank you, Aerith. I won't let you die. "  
Then it was Barret's turn.  
“Hey kid, don't be presumptuous! You don't need to sacrifice yourself up to this point at all. Leave it to us! You'll see we will break that bastard's face! "  
Yuffie pulled on the sleeve of her jacket.  
"Even though I played a bad shot at you that time in Wutai, you never stopped believing in me. I won't either, so let's fight together! "  
Vincent put his hand on her head.  
"Ancient, huh? But what difference does it make? You are the noblest soul I have ever met. The planet needs people like you, and also humanity. Otherwise how will we understand each other? "  
She felt the tears rise to her eyes again.  
Red sat down in front of her, and put his head under her hand.  
“You have taken my soul into consideration, and just as you protected me now it’s my intention to protect you. My tribe has always been on guard for the Ancients, but this time it has nothing to do with it. I will defend you because it’s you. "  
Cait Sith hopped beside her.  
"When I predicted the future, you accepted it with a smile, and you didn't judge my turnaround at all, rather you were the first to forgive me. Now it's my turn. I want you to live! To hell horoscopes! "  
Cid was the last.  
"I don't know what the fucking reason you're apologizing to everyone! We’re fucking companions! Let's go to that fucking Sephiroth and kick his ass! "  
She laughed through tears and whispered "Thank you all!" then turned to Cloud.  
He too had something to say to her.  
“Ever since I met you I have learned that life is not just pain and struggle. It was you who taught me that there’s much more. I learned to smile and enjoy the little things. The flowers, the rain, the wind ... "  
He was embarrassed but he held her gaze all the time.  
"... without you nothing would make sense. If necessary, I will die for you. But most of all now I want to live with you! So stop saying you have to die! I - Er – we are all here with you now, and we're fighting the same fight. Don't try to do it all alone and trust us. I do not want to lose you."  
A tear ran down his cheek, and he looked away.  
"Cloud ..."  
"It's nothing" he replied, then hugged her, while she covered her face with her hands and abandoned herself to tears.

_______ _ _ _


	12. #12 - Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am adding new chapters after checking them.  
> From this chapter begins the other big difference with the original game.  
> Indeed Aerith announces that she will begin to pray for Holy, and she can do it in a place different from Forgotten Capital.  
> The time in these chapters is also slightly longer than the OG, for narrative needs.  
> Enjoy the reading!

## # 12 - Quiet 

The journey to the Sleeping Forest had begun a few hours later.  
Everyone had set off with a new courage in their hearts.  
Aerith was beginning to believe it too.  
Cloud's hand clutched her and communicated security. From that moment on, he never left her even for a moment. From time to time she looked at the bracelet on her wrist. That evening she would begin to infuse her power on white Materia.  
Behind her she heard Yuffie's voice.  
"Hell ... it looked like a love confession!" she said turning to Red.  
"That was a love confession, so do your business!" he replied, continuing to walk calmly.  
Aerith blushed and peered at Cloud's face. He looked up at the sky with a purple face, pretending, as usual, nothing.  
She ran away from laughing.  
Who knows if they would have had other moments to be alone before...  
_"It will be fine"_ she said to herself, interrupting the flow of her thoughts and trying to smile, then turning to Cloud she challenged him.  
"Let's do who gets there first?" she said, pointing to the first houses in the village that separated them from the Sleeping Forest, and began to run.  
Together with her, everyone jumped forward. First of them all Yuffie, who grinned "Come on people! Whoever wins will choose the rooms for everyone! "

It was a carefree race full of laughter.  
She soon found herself breathless and was forced to stop.  
Yuffie had won, followed by Red, while Barret and Cid shouted insults at their address. Tifa was distracted by looking at a shop and Cait Sith, far behind, was kicking his robot who had dumped him in the middle of the challenge. Vincent, on the other hand, continued to walk as usual and walked past her, smiling.  
"They'll steal the best rooms from us" Cloud said, reaching out to her.  
"Who cares?" she replied with a smile and together they entered the village.

"And thiiiis is for you!" Yuffie grinned, holding out the key and winking.  
Aerith heard Cloud sigh and looking at him saw that he had turned towards the exit, head down and with his arms crossed. He did so every time he felt the need to hide his feelings. It was really funny and she chuckled at her.  
"Thank you!" she replied returning the wink, then took Cloud's arm and looked for her room ... their room! Yuffie had in fact chosen double rooms for everyone, except for Vincent who by his nature was struggling to adapt to anyone's company.  
"Hey ... sure it's okay?" Cloud asked trudging behind her.  
"Yup. Okay” she chirped in a good mood, realizing only after a moment that the room that Yuffie had left for them was in fact a pretty wooden building in the center of the inn's garden. She turned to him with wide eyes and a red face.  
"Tha-thank goodness! I have to start praying and I can concentrate better in such a place!" she stated, without being at all convincing, not even towards herself.  
Cloud had grabbed her finger which she had raised in the vain hope of making some excuses and had simply said "Come."

It was a sort of small cottage where in addition to the bedroom there was also another room, with a large fireplace and furnished only with cushions on the floor and a drape hanging from the beams.  
When Aerith saw it, she thought it was perfect for her concentration, but her thoughts ran in another direction.  
She heard Cloud get rid of his armor in the next room as she took off her shoes and walked barefoot on that wooden floor.  
_"It's really perfect"_ she thought.  
She knelt on a large cushion and began to fumble to stoke the fire.  
She touched the bracelet with Materia and then closed her eyes for a moment.  
In the quiet of that room, she was sure, her power would be amplified.

Cloud appeared at the door "Hey ... remember that ..."  
Then he looked at her. She was focused and relaxed in a sort of trance.  
He took off his shoes and entered in silence too, and sitting on a pillow he leaned against the wall.  
A half hour had passed when she shook herself and stood up and noticed Cloud. He seemed to be asleep, sitting there with his legs crossed and completely leaning against the corner. She leaned over him. He looked like a child, with his head tilted to one side and his mouth slightly open. She smiled and went out in silence, without touching him.

It was almost sunset, by now there was little missing from the meeting with everyone else. She sat in the garden, in the midst of the flowers, to enjoy those peaceful moments. She realized she was calm and was surprised.  
Maybe the future would have started to turn differently after _that_ night.

She saw Yuffie arrive and pointed to her to be silent. The girl approached her and whispered something, then they said goodbye and she got up to start getting ready.  
She crouched just another moment, there, in the middle of those beautiful flowers, without speaking.  
"What they told you this time? "  
She turned to Cloud who stretched and stared at her from the door.  
"Uh ... They'll cheer me on!"  
"Ah! Well!" he smiled "It's time, right?"  
She got up and ran inside taking him by the arm, chuckling after remembering that day when they had a similar conversation.  
This time she had found Cloud only a few hours ago, and that special day had seemed like an eternity since the first time it had happened.  
She had waited that day for all her life and she had made up the excuse of picking flowers with him just to spend a few more minutes together.  
It really seemed to her that the second chance she was experiencing was a dream, and within hours she would begin to move to make it come true.


	13. #13 - Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's another big difference with OG.
> 
> You will discover it by reading!  
> ^_^ Enjoy!

## # 13 - Plans

That evening she was forced to tell every detail of that cursed day.  
She saw Cid take notes and Tifa and Vincent talk. They should have thought about how to avoid catastrophe, and at the same time how to save her from her fate.  
She drew an approximate map of that place on the sheet and found herself thinking of when she was a child and she drew with the colored crayons on the wall of the Shinra Building. She touched the sheet as if she had touched her childhood dreams, illuminated by a light she could no longer see.  
All her companions were looking for a way to save her and she felt great strength within herself, but she also felt fear.  
It wasn't for herself, she told herself, but for everything a failure would have implied.  
Then there was Cloud.  
Cloud would have fought hard to defend her and the planet, until he died, she knew it.  
If she had died Cloud's soul would have died with her, once again.  
She shook her head, chasing those thoughts away, and concentrated on the mission.

They were returning to their room and it was already night. The garden was full of intense perfumes and Aerith moved slowly, touching the leaves that linked her clothes with her hand.  
"I think we're doing a good job" she said more to herself than to Cloud.  
"Yes" he replied, stopping a step in front of her.  
"Hey ... do you really want to start your prayer tonight?"  
He had turned to her and looked at her with downcast eyes.  
"If we can anticipate Sephiroth's moves, maybe we will have an advantage, I thought so" she replied, rolling her eyes.  
She saw Cloud's hands shaking. She knew that only Sephiroth's name put him in crisis, but she could not help mentioning it. She absolutely had to find a way to defeat him, and also, she thought, to help Cloud overcome the atavistic fear he felt about him.  
"I'll do it with you" he said simply.  
He had always been a type of few words, but he always managed to say the right ones at the right time. She took another step towards him and showed her best smile.  
"Thanks Cloud!" she said full of enthusiasm.  
He pursed his lips in a small smile, then took a flower from the branches around them and stuck it in her hair.  
"You are here. I will do anything ... "  
She imagined the rest of that phrase that did not come out of his closed lips, and gently touched the white and blue flower in her hair, then placed her forehead on his chest, as if to say _"This is where I will stay, until I have breath."_  
His arms squeezed her gently.  
Their hearts were able to understand each other, so he wouldn't need any more words.  
"Ok. Here we go" she exclaimed breaking away from him. "We need to focus on talking to the planet."  
"You will have to teach me how."  
"Sure! Come in! Let's start the preparations!"

The room was lit by the fireplace, and had lit candles in the four corners.  
She threw a handful of aromatic herbs into the fire and Cloud felt the air get sweeter.  
In his nostrils the smell of plants dominated the bitterness of the smoke and he felt the fatigue slip away from his shoulders, his body relaxed and the mind was emptied of every thought.  
Aerith was standing in front of him.  
She pulled the stone out of the bracelet, then looked at it.  
She squeezed the stone in her joined hands and Cloud put his hands around hers.  
"Now close your eyes and concentrate" she said.  
He felt an enormous and unknown energy passing through him, to the point that every little part of him, even every single hair, had become a receptor to collect that energy from the air, from the plants, from the wood, from the earth, from every drop of water, from every breath of wind.  
He closed his eyes and saw in his mind an explosion of jade strands, shining, conveying towards a point that shone until it became a blinding white light.  
He felt her pull him down and slowly, and without letting go of her hands, he bent his knees following her in that movement.

After a time he had failed to define, Aerith's voice reached his ears.  
They were whispers of words unknown to him, which sounded sweet and powerful at the same time. He felt those sounds reverberating inside him, shaking every cell, healing every small wound in body and soul. Then he sensed the movement of her hands between hers, along with an almost unbearable heat, and opened his eyes.  
She looked at him, wrapped in an aura of the color of jade.  
Her face was illuminated by the intense light that filtered between their fingers, which were also firmly intertwined.  
She was smiling at him and his mouth opened, along with his eyes, in an expression of amazement and wonder.  
"The first level is complete" she said triumphantly.  
He released her hands, without taking his eyes off that light and saw them open, revealing a small sphere that shone with the color of jade.  
Full of amazement, he brought his eyes close to the white Materia and the energy that came from it invested him, forcing him to close his eyes for a moment.  
He saw Aerith close her palm, while with her other hand she picked up her worn-out ribbon from the floor and wrapped the sphere around it, rolling it around her wrist.  
"It's a seal" she explained to him “Nobody will feel the power this way. Tomorrow we will move to the second level, and if all goes well... "  
She smiled at him and he smiled back, then stood up and looked out.  
The sky had almost begun to lighten in the east. The night had passed in an instant and they had been unable to perceive the passing of the hours or the weariness.  
He felt her tighten his arm, and rest her head on his shoulder.  
Without saying anything he leaned over her, lifting her face to reach her lips.  
He felt her embrace and a shiver shook him, while Aerith returned his kiss gently.  
He wanted to hold her, throw her on the pillows and get lost in her, send fate, the future and Sephiroth to the devil, but the sun was already rising and, in any case, he felt that he could not even touch her until _Holy_ had been completed.  
He snorted and taking her wrist he pulled her down on the pillows with him.  
"Cloud don't ..."  
"I know" he interrupted her, then he felt her cling to him, with her head resting on his shoulder and her arm abandoned on his abdomen and instinctively wrapped her around him. He placed a small kiss on her forehead and, feeling the blood rising in his face, closed his eyes trying to drive away his own thoughts.


	14. #14 - Evil

## # 14 - Evil

An electric shock ran through his spine, he felt it vibrate throughout his body, being shocked. With a heavy body like a boulder he tried to move, but it was completely useless. There was a cry, similar to a deafening rumble that rose, a serious and yet high-pitched roar, which spread in concentric circles, mounting more and more.  
A voice in his conscience repeated _"It’s the cry of the planet that is dying"_.  
His lips tightened and his senses sharpened. His being was incorporated into that desperate scream, until he vibrated with it, and a powerful and destructive discharge to the temple forced him to bend his knees and fall back on himself.  
From the eyes closed in his unconscious a flash of fire surfaced, and two green eyes with snake pupils parted.  
"Sephiroth" he whispered, twisting his mouth, torn with pain.  
_"You're a delusion."_ hissed his voice that hit him like a tornado.  
He searched for the sword with his fingers, but grabbed the void. He felt the air whirl and grasp it, like a vice. He shouted.  
The throb in his temple was tearing him apart and he could not breathe.  
"What the hell do you want?" he screamed with all possible strength.  
Two scornful lips arched into a sneer, while those eyes came close to touching him.  
He felt the warm breath of Sephiroth on his face but did not move, and fighting with himself he continued to stare at him with ferocity. His jaw clenched and his teeth clenched too, barely letting his heavy, angry breath escape.  
A trickle of cold sweat streaked his cheek.  
_"Do you think you can do anything?"_ he whispered to him, with the usual caressing tone and at the same time full of hatred that distinguished him.  
"I will do anything!" he replied back.  
He would have been ready to indulge him, he thought, despite all the hatred he felt for him. Yes. He would have done anything, he felt it within himself, anything to save her from the fate that would take her away forever.  
He opened his mouth to speak again, but Sephiroth's hand closed his mouth and saw his eyes widen, in an expression of triumph and superiority that paralyzed him.  
_"It won't help!"_ he said, and his laughter echoed inside him, while the pain and fear tore some tears from him and he felt his heart implode.  
"What do you want me to do?" he said, surrendering to that sense of helplessness that had overwhelmed him.  
_"It's simple, Cloud. Live! And suffer! Suffer more! More and more!"_  
At those words he opened his eyes wide and his chest tightened in a vice that folded him.  
He screamed without hearing his own voice and he squeezed his arm, his fingers stuck in the flesh. He felt his jaw tremble and inside his eyes a white flash blinded him, while his mind and body screamed in pain, joining the cry that had accompanied him from the first moment and had not yet abandoned him.

He felt himself shrug and hear Aerith's voice calling him, making her way through the chill in which he was stuck.  
His hands were tense and clenched the pillows in a convulsive way. His eyes widened but he could not see anything, his mouth was open and his teeth clenched in a grip of anger.  
He felt the warm touch of Aerith on the temples and in an instant his mind went blackout, while his body was shaking in a violent shudder.  
Then everything went dark.


	15. #15 - Guilt

## # 15 - Guilt

He felt his whole body aching as consciousness slowly surfaced.  
He opened his eyes slowly, with difficulty, perceiving the reflection of the red sheets that covered the truss of the ceiling. He ran a hand over his face and inhaled deeply, before making any other movement.

He turned his face and saw that Aerith was there beside him, she had fallen asleep leaning against the wall. He listened to her light breathing and looked at her mouth gracefully parted, then raised a hand and stroked her cheek, entwining his fingers in her hair. He understood that he had been saved. It was she who had protected him. He smiled, then thought back to the episode just before and looked down.

When Aerith awoke she found him next to her, with his gaze fixed on the opposite wall, his frown, his arms clutching his knees. She could not say how much time had passed, perhaps most of the morning.  
"Cloud?" she whispered, and he jumped.  
"What?" he answered, dryly.  
"Are you OK now?"  
"Yeah. I’m fine."  
She reached out to him, placing her hands on the ground and moving on her knees.  
"Cloooud! Watch me!"  
He turned to her, with an abrupt gesture and visibly in a bad mood.  
"Thank goodness, you look like you again" she chuckled, then her hand touched his cheek, making him jump again. His expression softened when she touched his hand.  
“Was it Sephiroth? It was him, right? "  
"Yup" he sighed, lowering his eyes.  
"I heard you say his name and I got worried."  
"I know."  
"... and, Cloud, I have ..."  
"I know."  
She sat up, feeling the guilt growing inside her. She had to tell him.  
She peered at his mind.  
"Don't make that face" he hissed. "I don't need your compassion."  
"You're wrong ... it's not what you think, at all."  
"Don't you want to know what he told me?"  
"I already know." She lowered her eyes, clasping her hands. "... if I hadn't, it would have annihilated you. Do you believe me?"  
"I believe you."  
He turned to not look at her, cursing Sephiroth and himself.  
“He won't stop, no matter what happens. He has decided to take away what I care about most and I know that nothing can stop him."  
He shook his head with his hand, convulsively. He wanted to scream, and he gritted his teeth in anger.  
He felt Aerith wrap him in her arms and felt his anger subside. His hand fell back on the pillow as the tension slipped from his shoulders. He felt her breathe on his collarbone, while with her hand she stroked the hair behind his neck. He felt her body abandoned against hers and the need to tighten it became even stronger.  
"You better get out" he said softly, his voice trembling.  
She took his face, squeezing his cheeks and looked at him, folding her eyes in a lovely smile.  
"Forget it!"

She had looked into Cloud's mind even though until then he had prevented it.  
Now she seemed to understand his attitude better. But she realized she was wrong, even if it had been inevitable: that mental confrontation with Sephiroth would have killed him.  
She was thinking as she waited for the bathtub to be full. Suddenly the whole situation seemed to take an unexpected turn. There was something that had always eluded her and Cloud: Sephiroth was not disturbed by _Holy_. It was _her_.  
She dipped her hand in hot water, shaking the surface, and looked at her reflection on the rippling water, wondering what relationship there was between Sephiroth and Cloud. They were too heavy words to be dictated only by hatred.  
There was certainly something that not even Cloud knew. Something that bound him to Sephiroth of an unbreakable bond, so strong as to make Sephiroth ruthless.  
She left the bathroom barefoot, with only the towel on her.

Cloud practiced to release the tension and as soon as he saw Aerith dressed that way he let go of the sword, letting it fall to the ground, on the grass.  
“I need to understand. You have to let me look inside you. Surely ... surely there's something that even you don't know. Something that binds you to Sephiroth. I want to find out what it is. "  
He looked at her, biting his lips and eyes wide, without focusing on a single word of what she had just said, and blazed.  
"You want me to die here? " he hissed, turning away.  
She didn't understand immediately and opened her eyes wide, then looked at herself. The cloth barely covered her, revealing a good portion of the breast and legs almost up to the groin.  
"Fo-forgive me!" she exclaimed, running inside and closing the door behind him.  
Cloud heard her scream "But think about it, okay?"

The meeting began shortly after lunch. Aerith announced to others their progress with _Holy_ , while Cloud was silent all the time, lost in his thoughts.  
Barret went to sit next to him.  
"Hey friend! It doesn't seem to me that you are enjoying happiness like you should! "  
"Fuck you" was his reply.  
Everyone turned to look at him, perplexed.  
"I'm sorry" he just said, without looking at him.  
Tifa came up to him and looked him straight in the face.  
"Don't you want to tell us what's going on? Are you really going back to what you used to be, huh, Cloud?”  
"I don't want to" he retorted dryly, looking away.  
Aerith clenched her fists on the table, inhaling to calm down.  
"It's about Sephiroth" she said, raising her voice so that everyone heard. “Cloud is blaming himself before anything has happened. He met Sephiroth in a dream and from that moment ... "  
"It's enough!" he shouted, standing up, then felt himself being pulled by the collar and turned to Barret who was holding him by punching him in the face.  
"Leave me!" he screamed as Barret's hand blocked his arm and Tifa held him by the shoulders, helped by Vincent.  
Barret looked at him, touching his jaw.  
"Listen to me..." he came up to him and Cloud was forced to face him “Ask yourself who and what we are fighting for, and try to collaborate instead of being grumpy! You think we're all having fun, huh? Tell me! Do you really think that?"  
He turned his face "I'm sorry" he whispered. "I'll be back in the room."  
"Don't go."  
Aerith's voice stopped him and he heard her approach. "Cloud ... there may be the key to solving this puzzle in you. Don't you realize it? "  
"Give me some time, okay?"  
He had replied without looking at her and had left the room.

There were two things that frightened him. The first was Sephiroth and the second Cloud Strife. Aerith would have liked to reveal what he himself didn't know, digging into his mind as if he had been a laboratory guinea pig. Just the thought made him sick. However, he felt guilty. He had fully understood what Sephiroth wanted to make him understand, but he could not explain why.  
He recalled in his mind a scene seen shortly after his first meeting with her.  
Aerith was kneeling on an altar, and at some point had left the Materia she was holding in her hands.  
It was only a sequence of three frames. It could have been anything, yet the thrill that went through him told him it wasn't.  
He leaned against the wall, and trembling he stared with his wide eyes at an unspecified point on the moon.  
"Damn ... damn! Damn!" he hissed between his teeth, then looked out the door of the meeting room.  
"Aerith. I need to talk to you."


	16. #Mirages

## # 16 - Mirages

He was nervous. He sat on the bed with his arms crossed and his eyes downcast, fixed in a random spot on the floor. He had agreed to Aerith's request, but didn't know what to expect. He trusted her, but felt the agitation rise.  
When he was dealing with those moments he lost all self-confidence and had found himself more than once unable to overcome the moment with his own strength. In some circumstances he had even passed out.  
He felt his arm and temple throbbing as Aerith's voice came from the other room, asking him where he preferred to sit.  
He got up and joined her in the pillow room.

Aerith was in a good mood, unlike him, and when he sat down she knelt in front of him.  
"So, are you ready?"  
"Not really" he whispered without looking at her.  
"Come on, Cloud! Don’t be silly!" she said to him "Look!" and she had raised her hands to his face, palms open.  
"You won't hear anything" she reassured him. "While I may know many things."  
She narrowed her eyes in a gesture he knew well. He could not have gone on without that grimace that preceded her smile. He took her hand and raised it to his lips.  
"I'm not afraid!" he said looking her in the eyes "But ..."  
"I know!" she chuckled, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his head towards her, so that their foreheads were in contact.  
"Hey, Cloud, you know, I'm not going to resign myself anymore. " she whispered a few centimeters from his lips "I will do everything I can to ..."  
"I know."  
He looked at those small red lips and perfect white teeth. He bit his lips and his irises disappeared under his dark eyelashes. "Let's start".

It had been a while since she was done. Aerith sat on the pillows with Cloud's head on her legs and stroked his hair in silence. He had lost consciousness almost immediately, but from his relaxed expression she could be sure that the practice had had no effect on his psyche. He looked like a sleeping and peaceful child.  
It was she who was upset. There were many things she already knew about Cloud, but at that moment she realized how confused and painful his existence must have been ... now she knew everything. She had seen his whole life, from childhood to the day of their meeting, and beyond.  
She had passed over his lies, his feelings of guilt, his ferocity. And she had looked his fears in the face, cradled his torn heart in her hands and supported him in his pitched battles: Tifa, Nibelheim, Zack, Claudia, Sephiroth, Hojo, Jenova ...  
She squeezed her hands, trying to stop the tumult of feelings she had absorbed along with the memories and visions of the future. Then she let out sweet and musical sounds from her lips: _The Sound of the Planet._ "It will comfort you" she whispered, drifting off to sleep.

Cloud stirred. Under his eyelids he had relived each of those moments, almost painlessly, to his extreme surprise. He had heard Sephiroth's warm blood between his fingers, Tifa's heartbreaking voice in his ears, Masamune's blade in his flesh. His lips had said goodbye to Zack and his eyes had met Aerith's green ones. He had felt his heart beat, his brain going haywire with her. He was surprised to pose and even more to try to overcome his shyness next to her. He calmly embraced that river of emotions of all kinds, staring with open eyes at the scenes he had always wanted to avoid.  
They were related to Aerith's death, yes.  
They were moments planted in his brain and until then he had always looked away from them ... but not this time. He looked at every detail, every frame. He felt tears streaming down his face, but stood watching. He let his heart ache and his eyes burning, then felt the wind. It was a warm breeze, like that of summer evenings. He perceived its color, the same as the Lifestream, bright jade green, and a sweet sound in his ears rocked him and gave him the strength to open another door.

A girl with a long braid.  
He saw her from behind and heard her humming.  
"You're late" she said without turning around.  
"My fault" he replied, surrounding her with his arms, and he felt himself tighten in turn.  
Then together with her, close in that way, he had looked out the window and the blue sky had invested him together with the rays of the sun and the scent of the flowers.  
He had felt so happy that he wanted to cry.  
Then he had opened his eyes.


	17. #17 - Holy

## # 17 - Holy

Cloud had woken up, surprised at the position that embarrassed him, and smiled when he saw Aerith's face a few centimeters above his. Her hands squeezed his head gently and for a moment he wanted to close his eyes again to enjoy that moment.  
They were still together.  
A small tear came to the corner of his eye and he raised his hand to touch his cheek with his fingers. Then he stood up, took her in his arms and laid her on the pillow.  
He watched her as he put on his shoes, and realized that he no longer felt the anguish of the previous days.  
"Thanks" he whispered as he went out, headed for the guys's rooms.

He looked everyone in the face, one by one, then turned to Barret.  
“I'm sorry first. I was confused and ... "  
"Close that damned big mouth and tell me why you called us, rather!"  
"Right. I need you to check our room. I plan on completing _Holy_ soon. And I need Sephiroth not to ruin our plans. So ... " he lowered his eyes and clenched his fists " I ask you to support us. If the Materia is completed in advance Aerith will not need to travel to the Forgotten Capital, and we will be able to manage the next moves at best. "  
"Count on us" Tifa said to him, approaching.

It was sunset and a light breeze was blowing, warm and sticky. He heard the sound of the Sleeping Forest fronds in his ears and gritted his teeth. He was no longer alone. He had only realized it at that moment. Her mouth curled into a smile as he opened the door.

"The second level is a bit longer, Cloud. Listen to me?"  
"Yup."  
He couldn't help but be distracted by looking at her.  
He was surprised when he realized that Aerith's dress was waving outside, hanging on a stick. Upon entering he had seen her and thought it was a vision. She wore a soft dress, with shades of jade and blue, which fell gently on her breasts and hips. She had the large braid coiled around her head and some strands still fell wet on her shoulders.  
She had left him breathless.  
Then he looked at his dirty and wrinkled clothes and blushed, thinking they didn't fit the situation. But Aerith had put new clothes in his hand and sent him to bathe, recommending that he use special herbs to purify himself, given the task ahead.  
He had filled the tub with hot water and immersed the ceremonial herbs in it, then he lay down, abandoning himself to that warm womb.  
Just for a moment he heard Aerith unlock the door and whisper to him "I'll wash your clothes too, I'll wait for you on the pillow room."  
He had thought it was almost like living together and it had made him smile.  
Then he had put on the white and wide pants and the black sleeveless T-shirt that Aerith had taken for him and had let the wet hair fall softly on his shoulders and had reached her.

He looked at her, catching a glimpse of her soft shapes from the semi-transparent dress and turned away. He could not continue to be distracted in this way and he picked up a red cloth woven with gold from the cushions and placed it on her shoulders. She hugged it and blushed when she met his gaze, then spread the herbs on the embers and the ceremony began.

At this stage Aerith kept her hands open with her palms facing up and the Materia resting on the center of them. Cloud laid his hands on hers in the same way, palms down. As soon as he closed his eyes, a very powerful energy flowed from the fire and felt it flow through his body and his bowels. It seemed to him that his whole being was lit with red strands that intertwined with each other in an endless dance.  
Dancing they conveyed themselves into Materia through his fingers, while Aerith chanted her magic lullaby, making them flicker like tiny flames, and weave themselves in a globe of light.  
When he opened his eyes he saw the incandescence, this time of red color, and he realized that the sphere had increased in size. Aerith's smile made him realize that another step had been taken.

It was already night outside. He went to the door and his eyes searched for his companions. From the top of the roof opposite Yuffie nodded and he nodded too.  
It was all quiet. They could have completed the upgrade.

He knelt in front of her.  
"Here we are" she said. "It’s the most important passage."  
Cloud closed his eyes and felt Aerith's forehead touch hers, as their hands intertwined, completely wrapping the sphere.  
"We have to fill it with our souls, Cloud" she said.  
"Mh-mh" he nodded, pursing his lips.  
His mind went completely white and he felt himself floating.  
The heat started from the center of the chest, splitting into silver filaments with blue reflections. He saw them take on the shape of Aerith's face for a moment, before drifting between his fingers. The contact with her forehead was like a beacon in that blinding white, and her voice reached his ears, on time.  
It was a sad and sweet music, without words, whispered with closed lips.  
He felt the warmth of Materia grow between his palms and squeezed his fingers harder. It burned, but held out until he felt Aerith loosen her grip and saw the white Materia roll on the pillow.  
He felt her arms wrap around him, and her cheek against hers, wet.  
"We made it!"

He watched her pick up the Materia and wrap it in the pink ribbon with which she used to tie her hair until a few days before, then took her wrist and pulled her towards him. He wrapped her in his embrace, breathing in the fragrance of her hair and felt the beats accelerate.  
A twinge in his arm forced him to leave her.  
"He's coming" he said.  
Aerith did not understand, but seeing his face deforming in a grimace she snapped at her side and holding Wall in her hand she pronounced her spell.


	18. #18 - Link

## # 18 - Link

Sephiroth appeared in the corner, in the middle of a cloud of black feathers.  
Cloud gritted his teeth and stood before Aerith.  
She couldn't see it.  
When his feet touched the ground, Cloud's hand ran to the blade, he brandished it straight ahead.  
Sephiroth laughed, mesmerizing him with his reptilian gaze.  
"What the hell did you come for?" Cloud hissed threateningly.  
_"Take it easy. I’m not going to do anything for now. I just wanted to compliment you. You're trying to play me a bad shot, aren't you? "_  
"Tch! I'm not playing at all, damn! "  
He started to charge, but Aerith held him back.  
She came up to him, with her eyes closed and Materia in her hands.  
She opened her eyelids and her eyes shone.  
"Cloud will never become part of your world, Sephiroth" she said, staring at him.  
He looked at her, as if she were a mere interference.  
He raised a hand towards her, then was forced to let it fall helplessly to his side. An impenetrable wall of wind surrounded her and Cloud, defeating any spell.  
Sephiroth brandished Masamune and delivered a cutting blow, but _Wall_ also blocked that attack, and at that moment Cloud snapped, cutting through air, hair and armor.  
"It's no use" she whispered, looking at Sephiroth on his knees in front of them "It's not his body, he's not here."  
Sephiroth looked up at her, laughing wildly. On his chest Cloud and Aerith saw the Nibelheim scar and a larger one at heart level.  
The man snapped, arriving with his face a few centimeters from Cloud's.  
_“I am your everything. Do not forget. Eventually you will be mine. "_  
"You’re wrong!" Aerith yelled, raising Materia towards him.  
_"Shut up, kid!"_  
He stretched out his hand and hit her on the face, throwing her on the pillows.  
Cloud struck another blow and the ghost dissolved into a black cloud.  
Sephiroth's laughter echoed in his ears.  
_"I'll wait for you, Cloud."_

"Hey ...you okay?" Cloud held her up, stroking her affected cheek.  
"Yup. Now I'm stronger, Cloud " she replied, with Materia still in her hands.  
Hearing that hustle and bustle everyone had rushed and Aerith reassured them.  
Cloud, however, had been stunned.  
He still couldn't understand too many things.  
He felt Aerith's hand touch his scratched arm and shook himself.  
"We have to talk" he said to the others.

It was not long before dawn when they found themselves in the room. Tifa brought coffee for everyone and Cloud, taking his cup, curled up on the bench.  
He still hadn't managed to calm his heart after that episode.  
Aerith took the floor.  
"Now I'll explain how things are" she said, looking up at Cloud.  
He looked at her and said between his teeth "Go ahead".

“Cloud found himself in Nibelheim with Sephiroth and Zack. On that occasion there was also Tifa, who had been hired as a guide for Mount Nibel. That night Sephiroth discovered the existence of Jenova, the fossil of an alien found on Mount Nibel during the construction of the reactor. By consulting the library books in the Shinra Mansion he realized that he was an experiment by Hojo, who had joined his cells to those of Jenova. His ego suffered from a very bad blow. He was a hero, a veteran ... discovering that he had been created made all his certainties collapse and he went crazy. He burned Nibelheim, killed Tifa's father and went to _his mother_ , Jenova, whose body was locked up inside the reactor. Cloud was a simple soldier, the real Soldier was Zack, who was injured by Sephiroth. Sephiroth thought he had won, when Cloud hit him with his own sword, Masamune, and before he threw him into the Lifestream he hit him too. Here the memories of Cloud stop, but those of his cells begin."  
She stopped and looked at him.  
"Cloud ... this is something you don't even know."  
He nodded and continued to stare at her.  
“Professor Hojo picked Cloud and Zack's mortally wounded bodies and brought them to his laboratory, implanting their Jenova cells. I believe he also implanted the Sephiroth cells in Cloud’s body. This is why he now has those visions, and above all he reacts to Jenova's presence. Sephiroth is waiting for Cloud to wake up as he did, which is one of the reasons he persecutes him. He wants him to grow stronger and madder, as happened to him. He wants to create a distorted world, and he wants Cloud by his side ... or maybe he's just looking for the best way to die. Anyway ... to do this he needs to take away what ... "  
"Enough!" Cloud snapped .  
"No! I want to know! " Yuffie retorted. "Cloud! We have the right! "  
Cloud stared at the floor with clenched fists.  
Aerith took courage.  
"He needs to kill me." she concluded. "Not for _Holy_... but for Cloud. Sephiroth hates Cloud because he’s living a simple and true life, and I think he envy him, because Cloud doesn't need to feel omnipotent, he doesn't need to have an entire planet at his disposal ... "  
She paused.  
"So you're saying it goes anyway ..." Barret began "... Sephiroth will do anything to make Cloud suffer." Vincent concluded "... and therefore he will try to kill Aerith in any way!" this time it was Tifa who spoke.  
"Not just Aerith" Red sighed "but everyone who makes a connection with him, until Cloud goes crazy."  
Everyone turned to look at him.  
He had his arms crossed and his nails sunk in the flesh, his teeth clenched, his head low.  
"We won't allow it." said Tifa.  
Aerith approached him, touching his hand "We will not allow it in the world at all."  
"Jenova's and Sephiroth's cells..." he hissed.  
Her fingernails sank into her biceps, as if he wanted to tear off his own arm.  
Aerith took his hands, crouching in front of him and looked at him and his anger faded.  
"Maybe the only thing I can do is go my own way" he said looking away.  
"It’s not the only one. There’s still one possibility "Aerith said to him." Let's fight!"  
"Well guys! The night was long and demanding. Let's go to rest now, do you agree? "  
Tifa's proposal made everyone agree and they separated.


	19. #19 - Sinking

## # 19 - Sinking

He had been silent all the time. Aerith's speech had stirred the thoughts inside him like mud on the bottom of a pond. He had stopped outside, in the garden, under the raging storm, letting the rain wash that mud away. But it was not enough.  
He could not move, he felt himself sinking every moment more. He looked at his bare feet in the grass while the water that soaked him fell in large drops from his hair and nose, wetting his shirt.  
Aerith appeared at the door. She had no intention of leaving him to sink in the storm.  
She took him by the arm without speaking and dragged him inside.

Cloud looked at her. She handed him a towel, with her other hand on her hip.  
She seemed annoyed.  
"Heroes get sick too, you know?"  
He didn't answer and looked down even more.  
"I'm not a hero" he muttered in a low voice, throwing the patch on his hair.  
As he rubbed he felt Aerith’s hands pull on his shirt and he raised his arms, and after a moment he found himself shirtless, while Aerith was already arranging the garment on a crutch to dry.  
He snorted, repressing a shiver.  
"So, Mr.-I'm-not-a-hero when you will take off that long face?"  
He looked at her between his half-closed lashes, twisting his mouth.  
"It will take time, perhaps."  
She looked at him. Her mouth was open as if she had something to say, but stopped.  
"... 'Kay" she replied, then disappeared into the bedroom.  
"Hey! Are you angry?" he asked, leaning on the door.  
"I'm not."  
"You are."  
He sighed, lowering his eyes.  
"It's just that ... I don't have all this time, Cloud."  
He looked at her with a flash of terror in his wide eyes, then frowned and pursed his lips. "Bullshit! You will have it. Promised. We will have our time! "  
"Should you sound reassuring?"  
"Am I not enough?"  
"How about a hug?" she exclaimed and dived into his arms.  
He remained frozen with his arms raised as she held him.  
"What's the matter, Cloud?"  
He hid his face over his shoulder, feeling his fingers tingle.  
"Uh! I'm almost naked, right? "  
"Mh-mh ... It would seem so."  
He heard her stifle a laugh and her breath tickled his collarbone.  
He relaxed and surrounded her with his arms, closing his eyes.

He stared at the white Materia in the center of the large cushion in front of him.  
He touched it with his fingers and felt its warmth, then he took it in his hand and felt a discharge going through himself.  
His eyes were lost on the surface, woven like millions of threads. It was different from all the others, it shone with white and pale jade green, with blue reflections.  
"Isn't it beautiful?" Aerith said to him entering with a tray. "I brought you some coffee."  
"Mh. It's really special" he replied absently.  
"What's wrong, Cloud?" she asked taking his hand.  
"You know" he replied, withdrawing to embrace his legs. "Say ... Do you think I can change ... like Sephiroth do?"  
The last words had come out of his mouth like a sigh.  
"You are you, Cloud. Everything’s alright. I am here with you. I'll protect you."  
He lowered his head, was embarrassed. It should have been he who protected her. He was also ashamed.  
Aerith went to the window and looked out. Despite the fact that it was already morning, it still seemed night and the storm did not show signs of falling.  
"We should decide to rest, don't you think?"  
She closed the heavy curtain and almost complete darkness descended into the room, broken only by the low flames of the fireplace and a couple of candles.  
"I'll stay here" he said abruptly, and lay down on a pillow.  
"Sometimes you're really impossible, you know, Cloud?"  
She sat down next to him, raising his arm and putting it around her shoulders.  
He did not even attempt to protest and continued to look at the ceiling.  
With her head on his chest, she lost herself watching the reflections of the fire dancing inside his eyes until sleep surprised her.

He felt his throat tighten and gasped, holding his arms out into the void.  
His breathing was a rattle. A voice that hated caressed him.  
_“Don't push me away, Cloud, hug me! I am your everything. "_  
He felt his teeth clench and realized he was out of breath. His hand ran to his throat and his mouth opened wide, along with his eyes.  
"Cloud? Are you OK?"  
Aerith looked at him worried.  
"I'm fine" he replied, exhaling, his fingers still touching his throat. "A fucking nightmare."  
"It looked like you was drowning."  
He stood up without looking at her.  
"I will fight" he whispered.  
"We will fight."

He watched her.  
The glow of the fire made her eyes dark and deep, occasionally accentuating the sharpest reflections. The shoulder strap of the dress had fallen on her shoulder and the ruffled hair fell on her bare neck.  
He looked away for a moment and felt her hands take hers, in a gesture she always did. It was her way to give him courage, and as always he spread his fingers, welcoming hers, then closed them around hers. Even without looking at her he knew that she was staring at him with that expression that enchanted him every time.  
He touched her shoulder with the other hand, then went up on the neck, and his fingers touched her lips.  
It was the only thing he could focus on at the time, and he focused on those.  
He stroked her lip with his thumb, breathing deeply to try to calm the storm inside.  
"I'm boring, huh?" he hissed with downcast eyes.  
"Just silly" she answered laughing.  
He felt her pull his hand towards her and place it on her chest, squeezing it tightly.  
"This color is not good for you" he said, pointing to the dress with a nod of the head.  
"I know ... but what can I do?" she grinned, taking his face in her hands. "Wouldn't you like to take it off for me?"  
He followed with his eyes those lips, which had the corners bent upwards and which were closer and closer.  
"Let me do it" he replied, his ears deafened by his own beats, and as he slid the shoulder straps with his fingers his lips parted to catch hers.

He felt her hands on his shoulders, on his chest, on his arms, felt her small bites on his neck, while his consciousness was distant, lost in another planet. He clutched her breasts feverishly, quenching her thirst from her mouth. The warmth he felt inside his stomach enveloped him, forcing him to close his eyes and made an enormous effort to keep him inside himself, not to let him slip out all in one time. His body was covered in sweat, like hers.  
He watched her. She clutched the back of his neck between her palms and looked at him with her mouth slightly opened and her cheeks red.  
He followed the line of her hair on the pillow, lowering himself again on her lips.  
Her fingers tickled his abdomen by pulling on the strap of his trousers and he parted for a moment to indulge her, rising to his knees. She followed him in that movement, and as she untied the lace she kissed him near the navel, hiding her gaze from him. He felt her fingers on his loins lower the elastic and closed his eyes, while the light fabric slipped on his legs.  
He lifted her chin gently, feeling her hands on him. He looked at her and swallowed, feeling mad. He saw her lower her head and his mind slipped on the curve of her bare back, becoming nebulous.  
He felt the touch of her lips and tongue and his senses exploded painfully.  
He closed his eyes tightening his lips and teeth, focusing on those feelings he felt for the first time. He moaned, holding the pleasure in his stomach for a while longer, then managed to move his hands, grabbing her by the shoulders with his fingers.  
"Look at me".  
He felt tried and at the same time he wanted that torture to last longer.  
"Aerith, look at me" pleaded, lifting her face with his fingers.  
She looked at him between half-closed lashes, then lowered her eyes again, embarrassed. He squeezed her head against him, savoring the sensation of her cool cheek against the hot skin, then leaned over to grab her and pushed her onto the pillow under her.  
He enveloped her feeling short of breath as she hugged his hips. He ran his lips over her neck, savoring her skin with his tongue, then climbed up her throat to her lips. As he stroked her breasts she moaned and clung to his shoulders.  
His hand followed the line of her hip, then grabbed her thigh, while his lips came down again to kiss her breasts, abdomen, belly. He heard her moan when he stopped between her legs and looked up for a moment to peer at her.  
He tasted it, feeling her fingers grab his hair.  
"Cloud."  
She whispered his name and he went mad, hearing her voice grow louder by the minute. He went up her body with small kisses stopping on a nipple, while with his hand he continued to caress her instead of the lips, and watched her.  
She had one arm on her face and he moved it to see her embarrassed expression.  
Her mouth was open and her eyes closed, her head slightly tilted back and her face red and sweaty. Her chest rose and fell to the rhythm of her labored breathing.  
He bit her neck and felt her hand on him again and it tore a groan mixed between pleasure and pain.  
"Cloud" she whimpered looking at him with half-closed, pleading eyes.  
He felt her place a hand on his abdomen whispering "Please ..." then he lifted her legs pulling her towards him and leaned against her, then pushed inside, gently.  
He saw her open her eyes for a moment and close them immediately.  
Her fingers grabbed his shoulders drawing him over her and he felt her arch against him, following his rhythm. He lifted her by the buttocks, placing her on top of him and moved beneath her, inside her, in a crescendo of sighs and moans.  
He felt her squeeze him tight and almost shout his name and he lost control.  
He bit her on the neck as he lay down on her between the cushions without calming his mad movements. Her hands clawed at her flesh and his mouth sought hers at every moment when breathing was not a necessity.  
Eventually he poured into her with a gasp, feeling his beats slow down and his shoulders shaken by spasm. She held him close to her, sobbing his name softly.  
It sounded like a plea, like a prayer, like a song.  
_"Cloud."_  
Lying down beside her, he turned his face towards her and with his hand he touched her forehead and whispered _"I love you."_


	20. #20 - Ancient

## # 20 - Ancient

They arrived at Bone Village at sunset the next day.  
As had been suggested, they commissioned excavations to find the Lunar Harp that would allow them access to the Forgotten Capital of the Ancients.  
The Sleeping Forest lay motionless before them.  
They had already tried to cross it before, but after walking for a time that had seemed infinite they had decided to go back and in an instant they had found the exit.  
Lunar Harp would have dissolved that immobility and allowed them to proceed.  
While Yuffie and Barret were looking for a room, Cloud had approached the entrance to the forest.  
He felt an unknown energy coming from that place and took a few steps inside.

Unlike the first time it was night and he marveled to be able to see so well, expecting to find only darkness.  
A force he had never felt before made his hair stand on the back of his neck and forced him to close his eyes. The blue trees vibrated around him and he was hit by the sound that often echoed in his visions.  
The pang in the head, so powerful, sent him back an image of Aerith that he had previously seen. She was from behind and walked away, and he could not reach her.  
He felt his shoulders tighten and his eyes burn. His hand tingled and he raised it, trying to focus on what was happening to him. He saw two hands grasp hers and closed his eyes in a small smile.  
"In this place you can hear the cry of the planet. Can you hear it, Cloud?"  
Aerith looked at him smiling and holding his hand in hers.  
"Mh." he nodded "... that's not the first time."  
"The guys are waiting for us, we have to decide the strategy for tomorrow."  
"I know."  
He felt the excitement mount inside him. It was only a few hours away and everything would be decided.  
"Let’s go" he said without being convinced.  
He looked at the forest once again, holding his breath, then turned and they were already outside, in the silence broken only by the sound of the footsteps.  
He felt Aerith pull him by the hand, pursed his lips and followed her.

The meeting room was a thick cloth curtain, strewn with cushions and a fire in the center. During the night they sat around that fire and Barret explained to them how they should move in what would be crucial hours for Aerith's fate.  
"... so Aerith will act as bait, pretending to kneel down to pray to lure Sephiroth."  
"No!" Cloud's voice cut him off, dry. "I can't allow it." hissed.  
"But ... Cloud! All the while I will formulate _Wall_ that will protect all of us.”  
Aerith tried to justify that choice, with not a little agitation.  
"While Cait Sith will take your form at the head of the group and you, protected by the invisibility spell, will stand by her waiting for Sephiroth's move." Tifa explained.  
"Absolutely not!" he shouted waving his arm in front of him. "It's too dangerous this way!"  
"Sorry, gentlemen ..." a man had appeared at the entrance "I wanted to warn that the excavations are over and you can immediately examine the finds."  
"Well! I'm going!" he said standing up, exasperated by what seemed like a decision made without consulting him.

He turned the object over in his hands.  
Lunar Harp was a small, apparently golden musical instrument.  
Despite being found underground, it had no traces of oxides or scratches.  
It had seven strings, arranged on a crescent-shaped structure.  
Cloud touched one with his nail and a relaxing note came out.

"And that's all" he exclaimed, offering it to Tifa.  
Everyone concentrated around her to see that curious object.  
Aerith reached out, pinched a rope and smiled.  
"Shall we leave immediately?" Yuffie asked, stretching "I'm sleepy!"  
Barret got up "We leave in an hour, make sure you are prepared."  
"I go before you."  
Cloud's words left everyone perplexed, but Aerith put her hand on his shoulder saying "I'm going with you" and the others just agreed.  
"Ok. Then we will meet at the gates of the Forgotten Capital. Try not to get lost. "  
He grabbed the instrument, turning it between his fingers for a few moments, then handed it to Aerith, hooking the sword on his back. "Let’s go."

He felt her cling to his arm in front of the entrance and stopped.  
"Are you ready?" he sighed looking at his feet.  
"Yup."  
She squeezed his arm, then took his hand. He could feel its warmth even through the leather glove. He tightened his fingers around hers gently.  
"And you? Are you ready?" she asked as they crossed the threshold and the forest swallowed them.  
"Not really" he answered looking away. “But I won't back down. Not at this point. I will defend you at any cost. "  
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and met her serene and confident gaze.  
"That's why I'm paying you, isn't it?" she joked with a short laugh.  
"We need to talk" he said, turning serious.  
"I know ... but first let's figure out how to go through the forest. "  
They walked for a few minutes in the corridor of trees.  
The large blue trunks seemed to vibrate along with the lament of the planet and an incessant buzzing accompanied their every step. A tangle of lianas dangled from the curved branches and the silver-colored grass swayed without a breeze.  
He looked at Aerith, saw her eyes widen in wonder on more than one occasion. It seemed like a date and his lips relaxed for a minute, in conflict with his heart that on the contrary beat faster and faster with each step.  
Suddenly the landscape began to repeat itself. Every three steps the scene changed, proposing the same frames, in a sort of interference.  
"Here we are" she whispered, letting go of his arm. "From now on we can’t look back, Cloud."  
He nodded, gritting his teeth.  
"Put your sword on the ground" she said and he obeyed “We don’t need weapons here.”  
She took off her jacket and shoes, taking a step forward, barefoot.  
She touched the strings of Lunar Harp and sang a melody between her lips.  
Cloud remembered hearing it from her during the ceremonial for _Holy_.

A green and blue wind rose from her figure, lifting the edges of the dress and the braid, and the small harp hovered in the space in front of her, interacting with the spell of the forest.  
He watched Aerith float in midair with her arms outstretched and her voice combined with the sound of the instrument.  
He closed his eyes and was traversed by a very powerful energy flow and saw between the eyelids closed the explosion of green light that arose from the breaking of the spell.  
Finally he felt Aerith’s hand touch his arm lightly.  
"Come on" she said "the road is clear."  
He grabbed her wrist "Hey!"  
"No regrets, remember that!" she rebuked him, lifting her finger as usual.  
"...’ kay, but ... "  
"What's up?"  
"I would like to…"  
He turned his face towards her, with downcast eyes. Aerith smiled.  
"Come here!"  
He felt her hands on his face and her lips on his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against him. His heart seemed to come out of his chest and a shiver ran down to the tip of his hair.  
It could have been the last time.

The sound of footsteps changed, as did the surrounding environment.  
The trees gradually opened in a vast clearing with stony soil.  
He stopped, no longer hearing the sound of Aerith's footsteps, and turned.  
She was still with her hands on her chest and stared at the landscape in front of her.  
He followed her gaze and found himself staring at a heap of large boulders.  
They were piled up at the end of a small lake, and between them emerged like sea corals the branches of trees that looked like stone, completely white.  
At the center of the lake stood a walkway that continued towards the trees, making its way between the stone slabs.  
"Is everything okay?" he asked.  
"Yes" was her reply.  
Without looking at her, he reached back his hand and she quickly grabbed it.  
"Don't be afraid" tried to cheer her up "I'm here."  
"This is a place that makes me homesick" she whispered back, planting her feet on the ground. "But ... but ..." her voice dropped and Cloud swallowed.  
"We have to ... look at the present, don't we?"  
"... and not in the past" he heard her conclude. "What are you going to tell me, Cloud?"  
He approached the lake, peering at the clear water like glass.  
"The plan. It's completely wrong. " he snorted between his teeth.  
"Why?"  
Cloud stared at a point in the middle of those branches, where a ray of sunshine came to illuminate the highest peaks.  
“Sephiroth will not be fooled. By doing that way he will check my head and it will be me who… "  
"Not if I inhibit his cells with my power" she said, convinced. "And anyway I would have _Wall_ to protect all of us"  
"It's too risky ... and Sephiroth won't stop."  
He crossed his arms and lowered his head.  
"Besides, I'm not at all sure I can push him away."  
He felt her hands on his arms and looked up, meeting her determined gaze.  
"Everything will be fine, Cloud!"  
Aerith turned to the lake "This place is beautiful, isn't it?"  
"It gives me chills" he answered dryly.  
"That time, the first time I saw it, I wished you had been here with me. But I just told you a lie, in your dream."  
"You refer to that vision in which I see you from behind, right?"  
"Yup. That was our last meeting before ... "  
"Yeah.”  
"Also that time we ignored our mutual feelings."  
She laced her hands behind her back and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.  
"I miss these feelings right now."  
He felt Cloud's arm surround her waist and leaned against him for a moment.  
"It's enough" she smiled. "I'll make it be enough."

Cloud watched her take a few steps into the water. He saw her black ankle boots sinking into the vitreous liquid and the interference throbbed in his head. He opened his burning eyes wide and looking at those images full of blood and pain and he was forced to bend to his knees so as not to succumb to his heart that was torn into a thousand pieces.


	21. #21 - One-winged Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the longest and most important chapter in the whole story. I hope I haven't made too many mistakes.  
> I'd like to know what you think if you want.
> 
> Enjoy the reading!

## # 21 - One-winged Angel

Aerith seemed not to have noticed Cloud’s malaise.  
He could see her between his half-closed lashes, while his mouth gasped to throw air into his lungs.  
A movement in front of him startled him.  
A black feather was falling before his eyes, circling, and then disappeared for a moment before touching the ground.  
He sprang forward, gritting his teeth with a strangled scream, hands on the sword.  
He came upon her, hitting her with the shoulder and throwing her into the water, while the pain of the torn flesh devastated him.  
He felt Sephiroth's blade hit the shoulder protection in a powerful impact that broke it in half.  
He felt the steel sink into his shoulder and he shifted the weight, clenching his teeth so that the sword came out of the flesh.  
He heard Aerith shout his name and looked at her making sure she was reciting the spell.  
With a cry he turned, resisting the pain, and saw him.  
Sephiroth hovered above him in the sky, with the only black wing spread and Masamune dripping with blood in his hand.  
_“I think I'm early. But that's not a problem, is it, Cloud?"_  
He kicked his name and he shot him a look full of all his hatred.  
"Cloud!" Aerith's cry distracted him.  
"Get back!" he shouted and she nodded.  
He felt Aerith's _Healing Wind_ on the living flesh and the pain eased slightly.  
"You saved me the trouble of looking for you" he said, fixing eyes on his face.  
Sephiroth's reptilian pupils looked him up and down and his mouth twisted into a grin.

Cloud felt his breathing heavy and his vision clouded, and he almost didn't notice Vincent flashing in front of him with an attack with his Cerberus.  
Cid's spear hissed beside him and Sephiroth pushed it away in a moment, and at the same time the shots from Barret's Shotgun boomed in his ears.  
He heard also Tifa's voice behind him.  
"Cloud? It's OK?"  
He felt her hand touch the wound.  
"I'm fine. Think of Aerith. I'll take care of him. "  
"Yes!" was her response and he heard the sound of her footsteps going away in the water.  
He couldn't turn to Aerith, but he wouldn't need to. He knew he could count on their friends.  
He spat out the blood that had gone up to his throat and screamed, starting to charge.  
His attack failed. The injury prevented him from jumping at his best and felt his arm weak. He fell back into the water leaning on the arm and pain exploded in his temples, blinding him.  
He got up and jumped again, splitting the air with the heavy blade.  
Sephiroth dodged him by moving slightly and for a moment their eyes met.  
_"You look more harmless than usual today"_ he mocked him laughing.  
"Fuck you!" he replied, running his arm over his face to remove the water that soaked him.  
_"Well. I will dedicate myself to your friend, since we are here. "_  
"Tell me" hissed "tell me what you want and let’s finish this!"  
Sephiroth looked at him and laughed _"I seem to have told you already!"_  
His eyes widened, accompanying his grotesque laugh. _"I want you to suffer! And for this she must die!"_  
He pointed his sword at Aerith and Cloud threw the Buster Sword at Masamune.  
"Stop it" he whispered.  
_"I can’t hear you!"_  
"Cut it out!" he screamed clinging to Sephiroth's leg and pulled him down, then sprinted to take back his sword.  
He stood before his friends brandishing the sword in front of him.  
"I won't let anyone else take me away by you!"  
He felt the wind of Aerith wrap the wound and relieve the pain and set off to charge, aiming for the wing.  
Masamune hissed to his left, leaving a cut on his cheekbone, as he performed half a rotation and his steel hit the bones, fracturing them.  
Sephiroth fell to his knees, then got up, laughing.  
_“My compliments, little soldier. You really made progress. But you can't defeat me, you know"_ he said rolling his eyes. _"I am a god!"_  
Sephiroth raised his hand and Cloud felt himself raised in the air.  
In his ears the screams of his companions echoed, and it was the only thing he heard before being thrown against a rock.  
The violent impact almost made him unconscious and he felt the sweet taste of the potions in his mouth, mixed with the blood’s one.  
Red was reciting Cure and Cait Sith was holding his head and pouring medicine into his throat.  
He got up once more, he took up his sword again and ran to Sephiroth.  
Barret, Cid and Vincent were already on the ground, he could see their blood, while Aerith, between Tifa and Yuffie, was wrapped in the protective barrier of _Wall_.  
He heard her voice and saw her with her hands outstretched, wrapped around a red Materia.  
He followed Masamune's movement with his eyes, focused on her, while _Haste_ recited between his lips.  
He ran like the wind, and jumped.  
His sword slammed down on Masamune which broke in half, and Sephiroth was thrown back.  
Dripping blood, he placed his feet once more, his arms stretched in superhuman effort.  
He felt blood dripping down to his knees and his senses becoming hazy.  
_“Now good, Cloud. Get out of the way."_  
This time Sephiroth's expression was serious.  
"Forget it."  
_“You really are a kid. You cling to feelings ignoring that they will be your downfall."_  
"Ruin or not ... you won't stop me!"  
_"Repeat it after I get the Ancient out of the way!"_  
"I'll repeat it as many times as you want!"  
He sprang forward, forcing Sephiroth to jump backwards.  
"Even if she dies I will never be on your side!"  
He cleaved from above, tearing the armor leather.  
"Or maybe you want to take everything away from me? My friends, the sun, the wind, the planet? "  
The horizontal shot failed and he fell again while Sephiroth threw a fireball at him. He parried it with the plate of the sword and sprang forward again.  
"Tell me! Do you want to take me even the last blade of grass? The last drop of rain? Sephiroooth! "  
He jumped into the air screaming and lowered the blade but was rejected with what remained of Masamune.  
Falling he crashed into the stone and the sword fell from his hands.  
He stopped, kneeling in the water with his hands on the ground, breathing heavily.  
He looked up and saw Aerith with raised hands and twisted his mouth into a smile.  
He tried to balance the air in his lungs, feeling them burn, and saw Sephiroth's boots in front of his hands.  
"If you want me, then take me. Do it now and let’s end this!”  
His voice was little more than a whisper.  
He lowered his head, breathing through his teeth and felt Sephiroth's hand grab his neck and lift him by the head.  
Between his half-closed eyes he saw his sick expression and, gathering the last shreds of strength, he slipped the tip of Masamune that had been in his hands just before into his chest.

Cloud saw his pupils dilate and he let go of the blade, then fell back with a thump.  
He followed the movement of Sephiroth's long hair with his eyes, saw them fall slowly, as if in slow motion, then his gaze moved to those snake’s eyes that for many years had haunted all his dreams. They were wide open, incredulous. When they met Cloud's they distorted themselves in an expression between sweetness and madness.  
A smile. It was nothing more than a smile.  
His chest tightened and his lips tightened too, while that one-winged demon fell heavily in the water next to him, with one hand outstretched towards him.  
He heard him whisper, but his clouded senses did not allow him to understand what he was saying, and in the end he dropped into the water, exhausted.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aerith let _Wall_ fade between her fingers.  
Her eyes ran to the figure of Cloud who lay in the water.  
Even from a distance she could see his chest rise and fall painfully.  
She could not focus only on him.  
She knelt and recited her _Great Gospel_ and a magical rain fell on all of them, healing the wounds of body and mind.  
Tifa and Yuffie looked at her and at one nod of her head they snapped to help their friends.  
She took one step, and then another.  
Several tens of meters separated her from Cloud and Sephiroth.  
She wanted to run, take Cloud in her arms and recite all her spells to free him from pain, but she felt something else.  
A powerful and disgusting energy was rising in the center of the lake, materializing in a horrifying form.  
Tifa also seemed to warn it, and leaving Barret she ran to Aerith's side, warned.  
"It's not over yet!" she said with a hard look.  
Aerith nodded.  
"It's Jenova!" she hissed, and followed with his eyes Yuffie running towards them from Vincent's side with her Shuriken in her hands.

Red got to his feet feeling his wounds heal thanks to Aerith's magic.  
He took the bag of potions between his teeth and started running towards his friends, who were still on the ground.  
He realized that everyone was exhausted, but he also warned that the battle was about to begin again.  
He stopped in front of Cloud. He couldn't have fought, he was sure of it.  
He was not at all certain that he would survive too, judging by the amount of blood he was losing.  
He squeezed the sack between his teeth, cursing, and in his heart he hoped that Cloud's physique would stand up to that devastation.  
His eyes slid across Sephiroth's body, poured into the water, then ran away and reached Cid.

Vincent had stood up again. The leg injured by Sephiroth seemed to have definitely improved.  
He felt the call of blood in his body and felt himself boiling. His eyes turned to the girls who were gathering to face a new threat. He gritted his teeth and picked up his Cerberus that had fallen between the stones in the water. The soaked cloak obstructed his movements and he tugged him down.  
Cait Sith was in the water next to him, beneath his robot, devastated by Masamune's blows.  
He grabbed him, pulling him up.  
"Are you OK?" he made sure.  
Cait Sith nodded. "I can't be very helpful, I'm afraid, but I'll do my best!"  
He watched him go and reach Red at Cid's side, instead he ran to Barret.  
The Avalanche leader had a rather serious wound to his chest, although it was treated in part by Aerith's white magic.  
There was no time to think.  
The mass in the middle of the lake was taking shape every minute, every second more. Vincent could already see his monstrous offshoots swaying in the space-time that separated her from the dimension in which everyone was gathered.  
He dabbed the wound at best, pressing the cloth of his cloak, while his lips began to recite _Cure_ , concentrating on Barret.  
"Come on, open your eyes my friend!"

Cait Sith joined Red. Cid had a back cut, fortunately not excessively deep.  
The potions and healing herbs were having their effect and he felt Cid's curses become more and more powerful as he tightened the bandages around his torso.  
He saw Red running towards Barret with the bag.  
They would have done everything possible.  
He watched Cid stretch and pick up his spear.  
"Are you ready?" he asked and smiled when Cid's lips curled into their usual grin.  
It would have been all right.

Only Barret was still lying on the ground.  
Aerith clasped her hands on her fighting stick.  
Her gaze was hard, fixed on the thing now almost outlined in front of them.  
The energy of that alien made her hair stand on the back of her neck.  
She looked at Tifa and Yuffie's shoulders, lined up in front of her, and felt helpless.  
In that struggle she had always remained behind, letting her friends sacrifice themselves in the name of her salvation, one after the other, like stones thrown at the enemy.  
Her arms trembled.  
It wasn't fear, it was anger.  
Because of her everyone were betting their lives.  
She looked past her friends, staring hard at Jenova's deformed and towering figure.  
She didn't have much time left.  
She put her hand on Tifa's shoulder, who turned to look at her.  
"Give me a few minutes! I don't think I need too much time, but if possible, please save time for me. "  
Tifa and Yuffie nodded, determined, and she ran away.

She approached Barret.  
He was lying in the water, and there was a horrible wound on his chest.  
Cait Sith held his head and Red poured potions into his throat, while Vincent recited spells continuously.  
“Join Tifa and Yuffie. We will need everyone's help "she said to them" I will think of Barret. "  
She knelt beside him, and she stroked his forehead.  
He seemed to be suffering a lot.  
Her eyes went back to Jenova for a moment.  
She could not lose concentration.  
"Courage" she repeated to herself, then put her hand on Barret's chest and closed her eyes.  
In the other hand she squeezed the healing Materia firmly and recited a spell between her parted lips.  
A strong jade green light exploded into a thousand strands, conveying itself in Barret's wound and Aerith felt herself missing.  
She gritted his teeth, and closed her eyes.  
She felt something grasping her wrist, while Barret's friendly voice caressed her soul.  
“That's enough, Aerith. Think of the others. "  
She watched him get up and smile at her.  
She smiled too, then gathering strength she stood up.  
She knotted her wet dress at the knees, watching Barret join the others and prepare for the fight.

Her footsteps moved slow and fast at the same time.  
She felt herself floating as her eyes lowered onto the figure of Cloud.  
His blood flowed slowly into the water from the horrible wound on his shoulder.  
It was full of cuts all over his body and he was breathing hard.  
Aerith leaned over him, with tears in her eyes.  
"Cloud" she whispered without getting an answer.  
She knelt and gently took his head on her legs.  
A trickle of blood ran down his forehead and he had a wound on his face.  
She put her lips on his eyes, crying.  
She felt torn to the core in seeing him that way.  
It was her fault. He was thus reduced instead of her.  
She closed her eyes, gathering every crumb of her power.

An abominable cry rang in her ears.  
Jenova had started to move.  
She felt her power groped to suck her in and felt Cloud's body shake under her hands.  
He too was reacting to that powerful presence.  
She could not delay.  
Her lips moved silently, letting the power flow into herself.  
She felt her fingertips burn and she touched Cloud.  
A jade and turquoise wind rose from her crouching figure, wrapping her and Cloud with warm coils.  
She kept her concentration, whispering the words of the Ancients who served to hold back life.  
It was the first time she had used that skill, and she wasn't sure it would work.  
For minutes that seemed endless, she whispered, concentrating her full power on Cloud's shoulder, until she saw the bleeding slow down.  
Her _Great Gospel_ rang again among the stones.  
She was exhausted, and in her heart she begged her ancestors to help her.  
She had to hurry, she couldn't wait any longer.  
The cries of her friends and the sounds of the battle had echoed in her ears for a while, while she, isolated in a dimension of her own, tried to save Cloud's life, the most important for her.  
"Come on ... don't give up! Be strong! ” she prayed, continuing to pour her healing power on Cloud's shoulder.  
The tears did not stop falling.  
She was still alive, but she risked losing everything once again.  
She could not let herself go to despair.  
The planet needed her, her friends needed her.  
Cloud needed her too.  
Her mind went completely white.  
She felt her wrist burn and opened her eyes for a moment.  
_Holy_ resonated in response to her power, from the ribbon in which it was still carefully wrapped around her wrist.  
New words made their way from her soul to her lips.  
_Protector of the Planet, give me your strength!_  
A dazzling light vibrated around her, jade and turquoise, then red, purple, blue and finally white.  
She felt Cloud's body levitate and her eyes followed him as he rose in the air, wrapped in magic.  
She looked at him for a moment, then touched his cheek with her fingers.  
His breathing seemed to have normalized and the blood coming out of the wound returned to him reversing its flow.  
She decided to entrust Cloud to magic. The time had run out.  
Now the fate of the planet was again entirely on her shoulders and on those of her friends, who at that time were already engaged in the battle with their real enemy.  
"Cloud ... wait for me" she whispered, lowering the head, then she turned to the guys.

She took a few steps into the water, and found herself in front of Sephiroth's body.  
He lay on his back, with Masamune still stuck in his chest.  
She pursed her lips and she looked at him, lingering.  
She watched his fingers reach out to her ankle and she crouched beside him.  
That monster that had obsessed both of her existences, after almost killing the man she loved, was now crawling hopelessly at her feet, begging for her help.  
Jenova's shots, screams, noises of battle and inhuman verses mingled in her ears and heart, deafening her, while helping that atavistic and helpless enemy to turn around to breathe and pushing that piece of metal out of his back.  
She watched Sephiroth's blood shine purple and turquoise before mix with the lake water.  
She heard Yuffie and Vincent shout her name and didn't care.  
"I never thought I'd do such a thing" she whispered to Sephiroth, voicelessly.  
She pressed her hand firmly on his forehead and a warm white light flowed from her fingers penetrating Sephiroth's mind. He screamed and his body twisted with spasms.  
"Jenova's cells are difficult to subjugate" she whispered "but I need your help, so hurry up!"  
Her eyes watched Sephiroth's flesh come alive closing the black gash in his chest, which began to rise and fall at a natural pace.  
"I shouldn't trust you, right?"  
She saw his eyes opening and his pupils dilate, while his mouth tensed in a spasm that shook his limbs.  
She put both hands on his head again, radiating her power once again and causing violent spasms all over his body again.

Sephiroth struggled to focus, his senses had lost the extraordinary reflexes that for years had contributed to making him more and more like a divinity.  
In front of him was a girl he knew, he knew he had seen her as a child in Hojo's laboratory.  
His pupils narrowed in the warm light that radiated from her hands, and the heat in his head became unbearable.  
His hand rose, touching the chest where the leather straps were torn, and felt the large scar of the wound that was healing.  
He took her wrists, pulling her hands away from his aching head that was causing spasms all over his body.  
He saw Aerith's eyes open wide, surprised, and read the determination and despair within them.  
The sounds slowly made their way into his ears as he sat up.  
He remembered, twisting his mouth.  
He turned and saw Cloud's body floating in midair, wrapped in a magical spiral that kept him suspended between life and death.  
His lips curled into a smile and he looked up into Aerith’s eyes.  
"You can count on me."

Jenova stood enormous and powerful before them.  
Aerith had gained her place, next to her friends, and was holding her fighting rod with both hands, straight over her head.  
Everyone was struggling, at the end of their strength against the _Threat from the Heavens_.  
She looked at the monster.  
It looked like a mass of guts from which countless eyeballs of all sizes sprouted, green as jade and purple. His arms, he had at least four, were monstrous and deformed, and seemed to move independently.  
Each of her friends aimed at a different part of the body.  
The monster fought with offense and defense spells, and the countless tentacles that sprouted from the tangle of bowels attacked and restored the creature's vital force continuously.  
She saw Yuffie thrown away and ran to help her, while continuing to focus on the summon.  
She joined her and helped her to get up.  
Yuffie clung to her jacket.  
"We will never make it" she whimpered, removing the tears from her face with the forearm.  
Aerith smiled sweetly at her.  
"Trust me."  
She stood up, and the red Materia on her staff shone, calling for _Bahamut_ , who shouted over their heads as he pounced on Jenova.

The wind rose as Aerith watched the scene.  
All of her friends were giving all their strength in that battle.  
_Bahamut_ screamed, attacking the alien whenever he could.  
Barret and Vincent were fighting from a distance with firearms, Yuffie with his Shuriken, Cid with a spear, and Tifa with her deadly blows.  
Red only threw himself on Jenova using his Sled Fang and Cait Sith devoid of his attacking powers he treated everyone indiscriminately and promptly.  
It seemed like a desperate situation.  
Aerith gritted her teeth and looked at Cloud.  
If he had fought with them, the battle would already be over, but she couldn't disturb him, she told herself, in his fight against death.  
Her eyes moved to Sephiroth too.  
He was still on his knees in the water, clinging to his broken sword.  
He too was fighting his personal battle.

Her wrist burned.  
She closed her eyes and felt the heat spread throughout her body and envelop her.  
Her hand touched _Holy_ , which freed itself of its seal, dissolving it, and hovered high above her.  
She sang a song between the parted lips and the air stopped.  
Each of her friends stopped too, seeing Jenova's time stop and freeze for a few moments.  
Each one of them had time to turn to look at her.  
Aerith floated in an opalescent light, with her arms raised above her head, and her lullaby sounded powerful in everyone's body and heart.  
The monster began to move again, while Aerith's voice was increasingly high and penetrating and the light amplified, flooding the space that separated her from the alien with a white and bright light.

Aerith could not hear Tifa's cries, nor Barret's, and not even Red or Vincent's, she couldn't hear anything.  
She was immersed in her spell to the point that time and space were canceled around her and within her.  
She didn't even see Sephiroth flying in front of her holding a Masamune made of the same light as _Holy_ , and she didn't realize what happened until she heard Jenova's heartbreaking cry, so she opened her eyes.

Two spread wings stood in front of her, one as black as night, one white, made of dazzling light. Sephiroth's long hair fell slowly on his bare back as he descended to lean on the ground, completing his blow from above.  
Jenova's arms stirred and her disgusting mouth gave out chilling guttural screams.  
When Sephiroth's feet hit the ground _Holy_ reached Jenova.  
Aerith saw him turn around and smile for a moment, while _Holy_ wrapped and disintegrated Jenova's body cut in half in a white explosion.  
Sephiroth fell to his knees, his black wing had disintegrated with Jenova and now he had two dazzling wings of light.  
Aerith reached out in disbelief as millions of jade and turquoise strands enveloped Sephiroth, breaking up her body into as many fragments of light.

Cloud slowly regain consciousness feeling arms drag him to a rock that emerged in the middle of the lake. Cid and Vincent made him lie down there.  
His eyes sensed movement to his right. He turned and saw Aerith collapsing beside him.  
He closed his eyes. He could not keep them open.  
He had lost too much blood and even then a red stream continued to roll slowly out of his wound, flooding the rock below him and mixing with the dark water of the lake.  
He turned his head slightly towards her.  
Aerith whispered his name in a low voice, like a chant. Her hands lingered holding hers, as if he could break.  
He narrowed his eyes and saw her shoulders wince as Tifa came running to support her.  
He couldn't hear the sounds, but he saw the tears in Aerith's and Tifa's eyes, smiled and raised his hand, meeting Aerith's head.  
"I'm fine" he managed to say, and it was the last thing he realized, before losing consciousness again.


	22. #22 - Speaking to the Planet

## # 22 - Speaking to the Planet

Cloud barely opened his eyes, feeling pain all over his body.  
He moved his head slightly, scanning the twilight of the room.  
He tried to pull himself up and fell back with a groan.  
He looked towards the window and saw Aerith's back.  
"Hey" he called.  
"Hey" he heard her answer in a low voice.  
"Are you OK?"  
"Think for you. Stupid!"  
He laughed and felt a twinge in his shoulder.  
"Aerith, look at me."  
"I can't" she replied, her voice trembling.  
"Ok. Then I'll get up. "  
"You can’t!" she cried, turning around.  
"Don't treat me like an old man" he hissed annoyed.  
"Hey! You instead, stop once bringing all things on you!" she retorted, her eyes full of tears. "I thought this time you couldn't do it!"  
"Hey! Who do you think you're talking to? "  
He felt her hands on his forearm and opened his fingers, closing his eyes.  
That gesture had the power to give him courage and calm his soul.  
"You won't be able to move your right hand for a while" she said, touching the bandages with her fingers.  
"It seems like a great price to pay."  
He raised his hand and placed it on her head, feeling her sobbing against his chest.  
"The guys?"  
“They will have some for a few days, fortunately nothing serious. Everyone did their best. "  
"Yeah. I had no doubts ... Now let me get up. "  
"No!" She snorted. "If you don't stop I'll throw you _Sleepel_!"  
He chuckled again, twisting his mouth in a grimace. "OK, OK ... You won."  
"Well. Then I'll let you rest. "  
She started to walk away but felt him pulling her braid.  
"Hey. Did we do it? "  
"We did it."  
She turned to him smiling with tears in her eyes, then placed a kiss on his forehead.  
"Now sleep."

A blade of light hurt his eyes.  
He concentrated on the pain, feeling it weak, and managed to get up.  
He noticed Aerith who had fallen asleep resting on the bed and smiled.  
He touched her cheek with his fingers and she opened her eyes.  
"Cloud?"  
"Hey!"  
"Do you want to eat something?" she asked getting up from the chair.  
"How long have I slept?"  
"Uh ... three days. It seems that the cures work ... Eh-eh! "  
He moved his shoulder slightly and looked at his bandaged hand. "It seems so."  
"Hey you don't want to ..."  
"Sure!"  
"But ... Cloud!"  
"I'm fine. Help me with the bandages! "  
He heard her snort as she loosened the bandages and ran her fingers over the wound, whispering his _Healing Wind_. He looked at the hand, it had deep cuts but he could move it well. He sighed.

"What happened to Sephiroth?"  
Aerith looked at Cloud and shook her head.  
“I'll tell you about him, when you will get better. I'll tell you everything about Sephiroth and our battle against Jenova. Either way, he's gone … forever. As well as possible."  
She smiled at him, thinking about how much pain Sephiroth had given everyone, and how crucial he had been in their last fight.  
Her Ancient’s power had managed to annihilate Jenova's influence on him and Sephiroth had managed to return the man admired by everyone just in time to deliver the final blow against that monster.  
The smile she had seen on his face that day had much to tell. She would never forget it, just as she would not forget those wings of dazzling light that seemed to have transformed him into an angel just before the end.  
She would calmly tell Cloud. They would have had all the time.  
She watched him, he was looking at his hands in a bewildered way, and Aerith was convinced she had seen them tremble slightly.  
She watched his expression change, as if a thought had passed through him and then had suddenly and definitively abandoned him.  
He had the expression of someone who feels his shoulders suddenly lighter and the tension zeroed.  
He pulled her towards him and wrapped her in his bare arms, placing a kiss in her hair, while a small tear was slipping on his cheek without making a sound.

Cloud squeezed Aerith's hand as they watched the trees of Forgotten Capital with their feet in the water. They had stopped there for a moment to admire that dreamlike landscape.  
His eyes lingered on the white stems, then moved to the boulders, on which life began to proliferate, filling them with blue corals and long green algae swaying in the light breeze. The water flowed noisily under the walkway, shining in the rays of the sun penetrating the narrow valley.  
Then he looked at Aerith. She was barefoot, with shoes in hand. She wore a red dress that faded upwards into pink. Her face had something different than usual. He could read a serenity in her eyes that he had never seen before. He followed the direction of her gaze with his eyes, then sighed.  
His fingers rippled the surface of a small puddle of water that had formed on one of the rocks and for a moment his reflection became tangled. Who knows, he wondered, even if his expression was different at the time? He finally felt he had found himself, along with millions of other reasons to move on.  
And the first, the most important, was there, next to him, helding him by the hand.  
He let himself be guided by that hand through the place he had seen dozens of times in his visions, but which fortunately he had never had to face, at least until that moment.  
The beauty of that scene stopped his breath.  
A very white shell-shaped building overlooked a small lake, mirrored in it. The white trees were the backdrop and the water shone, sparkling, moved by the source that poured into it.  
Aerith led him to the left, where a staircase led to a stone amphitheater with an altar in the center.  
Bugenhagen was waiting for them under the altar, smiling.

They watched him raise his arms as the huge mechanism started from the deep blue of the water. The tallest pillar rotated and a small platform emerged.  
He heard Aerith's voice chant her melody, this time adding words whose meaning he didn't know.  
The water that gushed became the same jade color as the Lifestream, and an annoying buzz crept into his head, forcing him to close his eyes.  
Aerith knelt in the jade stream and Cloud watched her untie the worn tape on her wrist. _Holy_ shone in her palm, then rose, animated by its own will, and nestled in the center of the source of Lifestream, on top of the platform.  
They watched Mako's flow surround her and welcome her, twirling around her, then a strong wind rose and Aerith joined her hands in prayer.  
He heard her whisper "Thank you" as the mechanism disappeared underwater in a white explosion.

One after another, the words of Aerith's song rang in everyone's heart, while a jade-colored wind rose from the source enveloping everything.

_Protector of the Planet  
We all belong to you  
Hear the words of your last daughter  
Defend us together with the planet  
Shield our fragile bodies and hearts  
Letting your light shine forever  
Sealing with a promise of harmony  
Our destiny and that of all will come  
From here to eternity, so that we can live in peace  
Singing with the planet._

Bugenhagen held out her hand, helping her to get up.  
"Well done" he said smugly. "From here _Holy_ will watch over the world, warding off any threat, always."  
The earth vibrated and golden filaments with the luminous stones of the Ancient emerged from the water, intertwining on the lake to weave a dome.  
At that moment the others entered the sanctuary, Cloud could hear their voices whispering behind him.  
He turned to look at Barret, Tifa, Cid, Vincent, Red, Cait Sith. All his friends were there, next to them, smiling.  
He smiled too, while millions of small voices whispered _"Thank you"_ in his ears.  
Now everyone could understand the words of the Ancients and could talk to the planet, even him.  
He felt Aerith take his arm and watched her smile as she said "My ... Our journey is over!"  
Then the group gathered around her and it was tears, hugs, applause and shouts of joy.  
He smiled again, then closed his eyes.  
"Our journey is over."


	23. #23 - Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. We have reached the last chapter.  
> 23 chapters ...   
> as well as 23 years since the Original Game ...   
> There's another 23 in this chapter, but I don't anticipate anything.  
> And I swear, I didn't do it on purpose, it's a simple coincidence. :)  
> I'm sorry this story is over.  
> It excited me and made me live a dream.  
> I hope it was like that for you too.  
> This last chapter is a _desire_ , which I strongly wish to see fulfilled in the years to come.
> 
> Thanks to all of you for following me and for your kudos and your comments.
> 
> Francesca

## # 23 - Beginning

Aerith looked out the window.  
A few months had passed since the battles were over.  
Sephiroth had been defeated as well as Jenova, _Meteor_ hadn't fallen on the world, Shinra had stopped extracting Mako energy and ... she had survived.  
She looked at the snow accumulated in front of the window.  
It was the first time she had seen it in 23 years, and she smiled spellbound.  
The sky was a beautiful blue on that February day and, despite the cold, she left the window open to see the sun shine on the ice crystals on the ground.  
The wind flushed her cheeks and she squeezed into her sweater as she touched with the fingers the plants on her window, which despite the period were full of flowers.

She heard the door open.  
"You're late, Cloud!"  
"My fault!" he replied. "The others will arrive soon."  
"The others? Why?"  
"They told me they wanted to go absolutely!" he answered, then patted her on the forehead.  
"There's really nothing I can’t do with you!"  
He laughed shaking his head.

Aerith looked at him without understanding and the wind threw a lock on her face.  
"Cloud?"  
He snorted. He opened his jacket and pulled out a red rose.  
"Happy birthday, Aerith!" he said smiling and she panicked.  
"Cloud! You're bad! Oh My God! I completely forgot it! "  
She hugged him, laughing and he laughed too.  
Then he muttered lowering his voice, and turning away he whispered "You must wait to see the rest!"  
Aerith took his face and forced him to look at her.  
"Speak up!"  
He was purple and that made her smile.  
He turned away, embarrassed, then holding out his clenched fist towards her, he showed off the most brazen expression he possessed.  
"I won't accept a no for answer!"  
She moved her eyes from his face to his fist, grabbed it and she opened his hand, slowly.  
Her fingers touched it incredulously. A ring with a small stone shone in his palm.  
Aerith hugged him and he hugged her, and just then the guys rang the door.

She looked at Cloud. She saw him laugh heartily with the others as they celebrated her twenty-third birthday. Then she looked at the ring on her finger.  
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
There would be no tears that day, only happiness.  
And it was only the beginning.  
The first day of her new life…  
_The first day of their new life._


End file.
